Naruto: Rogue Fox
by Axenome
Summary: Fox Hunt: In the depths of the ruins of Whirlpool, Naruto seeks answers, while Akatsuki and Konoha close in from either side. Fox Hunt Chapter One up.
1. Prologue: Alone in a Crowd

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**Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Naruto. Suing me, while possibly satisfying,  
is counter productive as I own nothing, and you will miss out on all the  
free advertising for the Naruto Manga and Anime this story provides.**

**Prologue: **Alone in a Crowd

"…a secret."

Naruto's eyes widened as his heart skipped a beat. "Wh-what is the secret?"

"Mizuki!" shouted Iruka. "Don't tell him!"

_Just a few words, lost in a conversation known only by a few..._

"Yes, it's true that I hate the demon fox…"

"Then why do you defend him?!" yelled Mizuki, cutting Iruka off. "Why stop me from killing him?!"

_Just a few words extra, spoken rashly in haste and anger..._

Naruto huddled beside the tree, feeling his world crumble, waiting... why? Why didn't he kill me?

"Because Naruto at his worst couldn't do as much damage to the village as you at your best!" Iruka snapped back defiantly.

Naruto's world turned to ash. Iruka sensei hadn't said wouldn't... he'd said couldn't.

Not that it wasn't something Naruto would do, but simply that he wasn't capable.

_Only a few words different... and what difference could they possibly make?_

No matter what I do, Naruto thought to himself, they will never accept me.

He missed the last words Mizuki spoke before hearing the sound of the Fuma shuriken being spun into its deadly rotation. And then, everything slowed, ground to a halt... faded... to black.

**NO, THEY WILL NOT.**

Naruto gasped, and opened his eyes.

The forest was gone. He was standing in a moist and misty hallway.

He felt the seeping cold and damp of wetness on his feet. There was a layer of water ankle-deep around him. And some several yards in front of him, there stood a massive, barred gate.

The silence in the hallway was absolute, but for the distant echoes of water trickling from somewhere, and the slow, steady sound of his own breath.

He took a step forward, and heard the sussurant splashing of his steps as he drew closer to the gate. Though there was ambient light around him, beyond its bars he could see nothing but blackness, an expanse of shadow deeper than the void. Gazing into the darkness, Naruto felt a chill, a trilling of terror beyond fear, beyond naming, beyond thought itself.

_There's nothing there_, he told himself. _There's nothing to fear. Just... nothing. _His pulse slowed, his breathing calmed as he kept repeating this to himself.

He was almost convinced when, suddenly, in the shadow, there was motion. A split in the darkness, as a massive eye opened, from eight feet up in the air. It blinked once, slit-pupiled and bloodshot, before it directed its malevolent gaze downwards and began to focus on him. Then, shattering the silence, a monstrous voice came, both nowhere and everywhere. It was the voice of a breaking storm, laden with threat and power and an ancient hate. It was the voice of a nightmare come to life, uncaring eldrich power noticing something beneath its toes that it was considering whether to avoid stepping on, or to crush beneath its feet to end its pointless motion. It was the voice of the ending of worlds.

**HELLO, BOY.**

Naruto felt his fear begin to ebb as his mind gave name to what he was seeing before him. "You're the Kyuubi... Aren't you."

**BRAVE KID,** the voice said with a chuckle. **COME CLOSER, IF YOU ARE TRULY SO BRAVE.**

Naruto edged closer to the gate, his heart finally calm, although caution had not yet left him. His slow, measured steps left miniscule splashing sounds that accompanied the distant echoes with almost melodic notes, harmonic and melodious, only to be drowned out with the terrifying screech of claws on metal as the Kyuubi attempted to slash through the bars at him. **I WANT TO DEVOUR YOU, BUT THIS SEAL...**

Naruto felt no fear, even after the terrible power of the attempted attack. His eyes drifted down to a simple piece of paper that covered the gap between the two gate doors, a fragile slip of paper incanted and covered in scrawls incomprehensible. A simple slip of paper; a tiny ward... "So that's the seal..." he murmured.

The massive eye looked down at him with interest. **YES.**

"Just that tiny piece of paper..."

**DESTROY IT. OPEN THE GATE. FREE ME.**

Naruto gazed at the ward for a long time before he finally said, "No."

The silence was again shattered, even louder than before, by the Kyuubi's roars of hate and anger.

They stilled instantly when Naruto whispered, "Not yet."

The rage gave way to trembling anticipation. **YET?** it asked expectantly.

"Maybe I could let you out someday," Naruto said, amazed by his own temerity. The seed of an idea was forming in his head.

**AND WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE IN RETURN?** it demanded.

_What difference, indeed? Only… everything._

Axenome presents:  
**Naruto: Rogue Fox**

Mizuki sniffed contemptuously, his mocking smirk brought fully to bear on Iruka. "Well then. I'd planned on getting rid of the fox-brat first. But you know what they say about the best-laid plans of mice and men..."

Iruka coughed, a fine spray of blood hitting his arm and the ground in front of him before he gave a rueful chuckle. "Heh. I've always wondered… what _do_ they say?"

Mizuki shrugged. "Not a clue. I've never actually heard the end of that proverb. Doubt anybody even knows it." There was a vicious whirring noise as Mizuki spun the fuma shuriken into a rapid rotation. "Pretty sure that neither of us will ever hear it. In fact, I'm pretty sure that this is the last conversation you'll ever hear at all." Mizuki's expression turned cold. "Good bye, Iruka-san."

Suddenly Mizuki froze in shock as he heard the words, "Taiju Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

And just like that, they were everywhere. Naruto's stood everywhere, as far as the eye could see. Several of them puffed immediately out of existence, their solidity slowing the flying shuriken to a halt before it fell to the ground. One of the clones stopped at Iruka's side. "We gotta get you back to the village!" Heaving the chunin onto his shoulder, he ran, leaving the sounds of fighting far behind. Mizuki had already stopped screaming, but Iruka continued to hear the wet stabbing noises and impacts long after they'd gotten out of earshot.

Iruka awoke to the sound of voices. "You gotta take care of him! Please!" said the high pitched boy's voice... _Naruto?_

"That is no longer your concern. You will come with us now," said an older voice.

Iruka opened his eyes groggily, still somewhat dizzy, as he felt himself being put down on the ground. "Naruto? What's-"

"Iruka-san. We'll get you to the medical corps. We've got the kid in custody. Your job is over," said a gentle voice. _Was that Morisato Shinji?_

"No. You don't understand. Naruto, he-"

"Don't worry," said the voice reassuringly. "He's made the last mistake he'll ever make."

The world spun crazily and, before Iruka could protest, he passed out.

--

Sarutobi looked gravely at the boy. "Well, Naruto, it seems you have gotten into a little bit of a mess today."

Naruto hung his head. "I'm sorry I caused such a mess. I've never been good enough for anybody. Cause of that demon fox in me. I know now."

The Third Hokage closed his eyes, letting out a painful sigh. "Naruto…" he began, but the blonde cut him off.

"I know it's true," Naruto said with a sniffle. "I'm not good enough for you here." With a quick swipe at his eyes, he adopted his best smile — the one that broke Sarutobi's heart every time he saw it, knowing it for the lie it was. "But that's okay. I'll show you I can be better. I'll be more… I'll be a good enough ninja, even if they hate me, I'll still protect everyone. I'll be the strongest ninja in the village and I'll make sure that everyone is safe, even if I have to leave the village to do it!"

Sarutobi felt a stab of alarm. "Naruto, what are you—"

His alarm turned to horror as Naruto vanished in a puff of smoke — a shadow clone. The jounin, Genma's mouth dropped open, and his ever-present fukimi bari dropped out of it onto the floor. "Call the rest of ANBU!" he shouted. "The fox-kid is still out there!"

Sarutobi shuddered at this development. _Ah, Naruto, you poor, silly child. There's no way I can shield you from what will come of this._

**End Prologue**

A small note on my intentions for this fic- an idea ran through my head as to what would happen if Naruto never really knew he'd gained his first friend- what if the first person he ever trusted was the Demon Fox? He's going to be a lot stronger than in canon- because he has the Kyuubii's full support. He'll also be a lot trickier, since again, the Kyuubii will be whispering in his ear all the time. Anyhow, C&C as u like.

-UPDATE: Preread completed.

-AXENOME


	2. Chapter One: Jigsaw

**Naruto: Rogue Fox**

Axenome

**Chapter 1: **Jigsaw

_It has been two months since Naruto went nuke-nin with the Forbidden Scroll. The Sandaime Hokage has done all he could to set people's minds at ease and perform damage control, but I know the real person at fault here — myself. At first, when he came back after a month and a half, I was overjoyed. I felt guilty for him running away, for him being alone, for many things I could have said or done differently. If only I'd said fully what was in my heart that day, after Naruto fought and killed Mizuki — killed him to save my life — but I was frozen, shocked at his actions, his ability. I failed him._

_The spookiest part of his return was how it happened. One day he was still missing, being tracked by ANBU corps, and the next, he was walking out of his, till then, abandoned apartment as though he'd been there all along. When he was brought before the Sandaime Hokage, who demanded to know the whereabouts of the Forbidden Scroll, Naruto replied that he'd long since put it back where it belonged. They even checked for it, right then and there, and found it where nobody had thought to look: the same place it had been taken from. Nobody had known when it had been returned; was it only just before he got back, or just after he left? No warning, no notice. Naruto had penetrated the most heavily guarded building in Konoha with nobody the wiser._

_They say that the eyes are the window to the soul, and Naruto's eyes now terrify me. His eyes are even a different color now. They were once a shining, brilliant blue; but now they're a stormy, pearlescent grey. They are eyes with a terrible depth; a hypnotic set of eyes that peer bleakly from across a gaping chasm of pain. Eyes with a broken faith in them. Eyes of someone whose innocent belief in the goodness of others is lost._

_I understand the Hokage's request… and his reluctance. Why it has to be me to kill Naruto: because he trusts me more than any other in the village. It isn't fair to me and, most of all, it isn't fair to Naruto. Since only the day after his birth, he has been despised and outcast through no fault of his own. No family. No friends. Not even the care of the orphanage whose indifference was still kinder than the treatment he received after he was given an apartment of his own. He saved my life — at the cost of his innocence, nearly at the cost of his dream of being shinobi from me — and I am repaying him by taking his life._

_But as a shinobi, I must cut out my own heart. And I do this for Konoha; for we cannot let the Kyuubi take full control of Naruto. If it does, it will finish Konoha for its imprisonment within the Yondaime's Seal. And none are now left that may seal it away again._

_-Diary of Umino Iruka, final entry_

_--_

The paper in Sasuke's hands still said the same thing, no matter how many times he reread it. He shook his head in disgust. "Reassignment to Team Seven."

Neji favored Sasuke with a smirk. "Well, it couldn't last forever."

Sasuke regarded Neji with the beginnings of a smirk of his own. "It's alright. I learned a lot from you guys. Besides, I'd rather you weren't in the line of fire for this one. Just in case..." Sasuke trailed off, fell silent.

Neji and Rock Lee also went silent. After Naruto had gone missing for six weeks, word had gotten around to the younger generation about what had been sealed away inside of Naruto. And now, with the mysterious disappearance of Iruka-sensei, all of the genin teams were being shuffled. _Again_.

"So who is going to replace you on Team Gai?" Rock Lee asked.

"Ah! But even though we've been parted, the power of YOUTH has brought back our Tenten! YOSH!"

The trio sweat-dropped as they looked up to see Gai-sensei standing there in his most dazzling nice-guy pose, accompanied by a glint of sunlight off of his perfect, white teeth.

--

"Reassignment to Team Seven," read Shikamaru aloud. "Man, what a pain! Why can't I just stay here?"

Sakura pouted. "It's not fair! Why couldn't it be me?"

Choji shook his head, popping an octopus ball in his mouth. Between chews, he commented, "You don't wanna go." Munch, munch. "I heard already who the third member of Team Seven is gonna be." Munch, munch, swallow. "Uzumaki Naruto."

Sakura shuddered. "You mean, the demon boy."

Shikamaru sat down on a patch of grass next to a tree, letting out a sigh as he looked up at the sky to watch the clouds. "Man, I don't wanna hafta do this."

--

_I don't like this,_ thought Kakashi. _This has all the earmarks of being a complete disaster._

The offices of the Hokage were plain, functional. None of the traditionally flashy trophies and comforts of such a position were evident. Sarutobi just wasn't that kind of person.

"I don't like it at all, Kakashi," the Sandaime said. "Were I twenty, even ten years younger, I would do it myself. As it is, should it become necessary, I want you in position to eliminate him."

Kakashi's right eye closed. "So, it's true then. …About Iruka."

The Hokage grimaced. "Yes. Yes it is. And I've regretted acceding to the Council's demands on this matter ever since the moment the words left my mouth."

Sarutobi stood up, walked to the window. "The Yondaime was his father, you know." He sighed, a deep and disconsolate sound. "He wanted Naruto to be viewed as a champion, as a hero to the village. But the villagers chose not to see him that way. And with his disappearance and as long as he was gone, the village Elders overruled my protests. They forced the assignment through. Still, it was my decision to send Iruka."

"Why Iruka?" asked Kakashi.

"Because, of everyone in the village, Naruto trusted Iruka," said the Hokage softly. He turned his head to look Kakashi in the eye. "It was a terrible mistake. But in order for you to understand _why_ it was such a mistake, I must tell you about the Forbidden Scroll. Do you know why it is forbidden?"

"It contains techniques of terrible power that are often deadly to the user or otherwise corrupt in some way or another," Kakashi replied neutrally. _There is more here than merely what I have been told,_ he thought to himself.

"A few of them are like that, yes," the Hokage confirmed, before sitting back down in his chair. "But the Scroll serves a second purpose. It also contains records of the Kekkei Genkai in the village. All of them. And how to implant them in a bloodline."

"How much of the scroll involves Kekkei Genkai?" Kakashi asked after a second of assimilation.

"About a third of it. But, most significantly, a thing we had learned from this mission is that Naruto has at least one Kekkei Genkai of the village," Sarutobi sighed. "The Sharingan."

"So this is why you have him in my—" Kakashi choked off his sentence as a buried memory resurfaced.

"Yes, you understand, don't you, Kakashi?" replied the Sandaime, as Kakashi's hand twitched, as though to reach up to his eye. "I sent Iruka, Naruto's best — his _only_ — friend in the entire world, to kill him. And he already possessed the Sharingan."

Kakashi closed his visible eye. "How much of the rest of the Scroll?"

Sarutobi shrugged. "How much did he master? Who can say?" he countered. "He'd only had possession of the scroll for a few short hours before dawn and by mid-morning Naruto had mastered Kage Bunshin. How long was the scroll missing? Can we believe he returned it immediately? No; take the question one step further. What if he returned it on the day he came back?" Sarutobi grimaced, his expression a mixture of pride in the young boy and apprehension. "Let's go a little further with it — after all, the boy mastered the Kage Bunshin, a technique based off of his weakest skill, a _jounin_ level technique — in mere hours. Six weeks? At that sort of a pace? He might well have mastered it _all_."

Kakashi frowned. "How is it possible to impant the Sharingan into him? He couldn't have stolen the eyes, there are none left."

"The only way possible is through the knowledge on the Forbidden Scroll. The massive amounts of chakra required to imbue it into a bloodline necessitates the donation of chakra from dozens of healthy, vigorous people. Either he stumbled onto a group of people to assist him with this endeavor, or..." Sarutobi trailed off.

"Or he accessed and controlled the chakra of the Kyuubi," finished Kakashi. "As unlikely as the first sounds, I truly hope it isn't the second."

"I have faith in him. His spirit is wounded, but I believe that he may still be saved. He is at least loyal and reliable." The Hokage sat up in his chair, pulling out a stack of papers and handed it to Kakashi. Each of them was a mission form, each of them was for a solo mission, with Anko supervising and Naruto performing, and every one was completed to the satisfaction of the petitioner. There were at least thirty forms there; all of them within the last twelve days. "Naruto has been sent on a number of D-rank missions, supervised by one Mitarashi Anko. So far, his behavior has been exemplary. Not only has he stopped his pranks, but has done every mission he has been given without complaint, hesitation, or failure. He's taken at least two per day, even on the weekends. His performance has been good, and I've brought this before the Council as well."

Kakashi waited quietly as the Hokage continued, "They've grudgingly allowed me to rescind the order for his termination, and have allowed me to extend his probationary genin status to permanent. With his status now full-fledged shinobi, he needs a team. I'm giving you the two brightest of this year's rookies. One, especially, is well suited to this task. He, of all the Genin, may have the most in common with Naruto. If anyone can repair the wounds to that child's soul, it is he. And he may, himself, find the comfort and companionship to shake the darkness from his own soul." Sarutobi took a form from his desk and handed it to Kakashi. "This is the mission I would like to send your team out on first. It is a fairly simple, C-rank mission, an escort..."

--

Sasuke leaned back against the wall. "He's late."

Shikamaru smiled, eyes closed, nibbling at a piece of grass. "Yep."

Sasuke shot a glance at the team wild card. Naruto acted like he didn't notice, but Sasuke knew better. He ran over his memories of the dobe, class clown, prankish and clueless, and the laughing idiot whose smile seemed to push back any troubles he might have had.

That boy seemed to be gone. Sasuke hadn't seen a smile on his face at all today. Indeed, in the few glances he'd seen of him since he'd returned, Naruto had not smiled, not even once. His eyes were darker, colder, appraising everything around him at once with an icy gaze that pierced to the bone.

Naruto suddenly shot a look at Sasuke. "What do you want?" he asked.

Sasuke paused. "Who says I want anything from you?" he shot back. "Not like the dobe is worth my time."

Naruto's eyes half closed, and his lips thinned into what might have led to a smile on any other face. "I meant, what do you want from life?"

Sasuke gave him a troubled look. "I don't... think I understand the question," he admitted.

Naruto shook his head. "Shikamaru. What do you want?"

Shikamaru didn't bother to open his eyes. "I want to take it easy. I'm not really interested in fighting; I just want to relax. Do a few easy missions, get married, have a couple kids. That what you had in mind?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, pretty much." He turned his gaze back to Sasuke.

Sasuke regarded Naruto for a long moment before going on the offensive. "What about you? What do you want?"

Naruto favored him with a slight shrug. "Pretty much the same thing I've always wanted — to protect the village, to be the strongest, to become Hokage. Someday."

Shikamaru opened one eye. "So, what part is different?" Sasuke shot a questioning look at Shikamaru.

"Maybe another time," said Naruto. "Your turn, Sasuke."

The conversation was interrupted by the door opening, Kakashi following it into the room. "Sorry I'm late, I left my kunai—"

"Didn't bother me," Shikamaru said, snickering softly.

Kakashi stopped and regarded his three genin for a moment. They all seemed more or less comfortable with one another, more so than Kakashi would have believed any of the kids could get with Naruto, at any rate. "Well, then, on to business. I'd have preferred you all cut your teeth together on something easier, but the Hokage felt that you three could handle this mission just fine."

Sasuke sat impassively, his elbows on his knees while his folded hands supported his chin. Shikamaru scowled and closed his eye again, while Naruto fidgeted but stayed still. Kakashi nodded. "I'd like to introduce you to Tazuna."

The door opened, and the three looked over to the door expectantly. Their eyes were greeted by an older man wearing work clothes, carrying a wine jug and leaning on the door frame. "So where are my bodyguards? Who are these snot-nosed brats?"

Shikamaru just shrugged and leaned back against the wall, covering his eyes with his arm.

Kakshi sighed. "Tazuna-san, it is true that they are young; but they are full-fledged shinobi. Each has a distinguished record of completed missions, and I can assure you they are quite capable of doing their job."

"Ha!" scoffed the older man. "They must be pretty well disguised. They certainly don't look like much. Especially the midget; he looks like a complete idiot."

There was a moment of silence as the three absorbed this. Then Sasuke smirked and Shikamaru laughed, while Naruto's eyes narrowed angrily. Their humor vanished as Naruto drew a Kunai.

Shikamaru's shadow leaped forward and caught Naruto as he lunged, but abruptly his shadow was loose again as Naruto vanished in a puff of smoke.

"Bunshin!" snapped Sasuke.

All their eyes darted to Tazuna, where Naruto stood, a kunai point angled up under Tazuna's ribcage, the point just a fraction of an inch from touching his shirt. "Don't underestimate me," he growled softly, putting the kunai away and walking back to his prior position.

Tazuna gaped for a moment, before sputtering, "You insolent little—" Naruto froze in his tracks, before looking over his shoulder at the man.

"Aren't you glad," he said slowly, "that I'll be coming along to keep you alive?"

Tazuna fixed him with a steely stare. Kakashi had to admit, the old man had nerve. "You'd _better_ keep me alive. Until I am safely back in my own country, where I'll be completing my next bridge, you'll _all_ be expected to protect me... Even if it costs you your lives."

Naruto leaned back against the wall, meeting Shikamaru's gaze. At the questioning look Shikamaru gave him, Naruto flicked his eyes towards the ceiling above the door, where a small spider sat waiting.

_He's a doppleganger too,_ mused Shikamaru. _The real Naruto has been hanging there on the wall this whole time._

Naruto, the perpetual screw-off. The Joke. The three time loser.

Naruto the Kyuubi. He'd certainly been cunning in that exchange. _Somehow,_ Shikamaru suspected, _we haven't even seen the beginning of what he can do. He's a hundred miles ahead of us._

_Why's he being stuck in a team of genin? No, scratch that. Why are WE the genin he's being teamed with? And Kakashi himself as our cell leader?_

Shikamaru gave it a few more moments thought. Then, he began formulating every strategy he could think of. _Our only chance is to catch him off guard. But... is he ever actually off guard? I need to know more about what he can do._

**End Chapter One**

Chapter One revised and Preread. R&R as you like.

-AXENOME


	3. Chapter Two: Peripeteia

**Naruto: Rogue Fox**

Axenome

**Chapter 2: **Peripeteia

It was a bright morning. Sunlight shone around the small group, barely distinguishable from the other groups leaving Konoha for the countryside. As they reached the entrance to the city, Naruto stopped and reverently laid a hand on the wooden planks of the massive gate.

"Well? Are you coming or what?" demanded Tazuna after a moment. "You can pet the gate when you get back, but right now you're on _my_ time."

Naruto did something he rarely did anymore; he gave Tazuna a small smile. "Just reminding myself that these will be my gates someday."

Tazuna snorted. "Well, maybe you're right. You might be a very good gatekeeper. You certainly have the attitude, and I'm sure that, in time, with enough drinking, the potbelly will grow."

Naruto's smile vanished and he fumed momentarily. He seemed to be ready to vent another outburst, when suddenly he cocked his head to the side, as though listening to something. After a few seconds, he shrugged and said, "As the future Hokage, I'll look back at this and laugh. When you're looking at my face up there on the mountain, remember this."

"Hokage? You?" Tazuna tossed back a swig from his ever present jug with a disdainful sniff. "The Kage of a village needs the support of his village. From what I can see, I don't even think anybody here even likes you." As though to emphasize his point, an approaching villager favored Naruto with a look, before giving him a wide berth and a glare of disgust. Tazuna snorted again. "Hokage? Try getting a friend first."

An uncomfortable silence hung in the air. Sasuke looked over at Naruto, walking along as though he hadn't been bothered, but Sasuke could see quite clearly just how badly Tazuna's words had hurt. Is this what it's been like? Sasuke wondered. I always thought he was lucky to never have parents, that at least he didn't have the pain of losing them, but nobody even... Sasuke didn't finish the thought, instead trying to change the subject. "Are there ninja in your homeland?" Sasuke winced inside. That had been a pretty weak change of topic.

"Not in the Land of Waves, no." Something in his tone raised Shikamaru's eyebrow, who slanted a look over at Sasuke. Sasuke nodded slightly, then the both of them looked over at Naruto, who walked on obliviously.

As they walked past a small puddle, Kakashi gave it a cursory glance, then seemed to pay it no mind. They continued on their way without pausing.

Behind them, two masked figures rose silently from the puddle. A spiked razor chain stretched between them, and they wore headbands marked with the symbol of the Village Hidden in Mist. As one, they leaped to the attack. In an instant the chain was lashed in several tight loops around Kakashi, binding his arms to his sides.

"One little piggy..." one of them murmured, a cold look of satisfaction in his barely visible eyes.

Kakashi's one visible eyebrow registered surprise. "What—"

There was a wet ripping noise as the chain was pulled tight. Blood sprayed in all directions as Kakashi was torn to pieces.

The three genin stared in shock as the bloody mess that had been Kakashi fell to the ground. The chain whipped out towards Naruto, still dripping its gory mess. "Two little piggies..."

All three genin sprang into action. Sasuke was the fastest, leaping up in the air, and with a deft motion pinned the chain to a nearby tree trunk with a shuriken, followed instantly by a kunai knife to anchor it tight.

Naruto made a flurry of hands signs, and electricity sparked from his hands as he grabbed the spiked chain. The two Mist ninja convulsed, flying backwards, before releasing the chain. With barely a stumble in their step, they rushed towards Tazuna.

But Shikamaru was already a step ahead of them, and as they darted in, his shadow leaped out and grabbed... Tazuna?

Mirroring each other's actions, Tazuna and Shikamaru back-flipped away from each other, just as the two Mist ninja crossed the thin line of shadow between them.

And just like that, it was over.

The two Mist ninja stood paralyzed, caught by Shikamaru's shadow, while Tazuna gingerly examined his abraded palms. "Sorry, Tazuna-san," said Shikamaru, "but I had to get you out of the way."

"Well done, you three," congratulated Kakashi. "Naruto, you're injured."

"Huh?" Naruto responded, looking at the palms of his hands. Blood seeped from where he'd grabbed the chain.

"We'll need to clean that; their claws and the chain were poisoned," Kakashi instructed. Then, turning to Tazuna, he continued, "We need to talk."

Sasuke looked over at Naruto. "Hey, are you okay?"

Naruto's face held a strange expression, before he nodded. "Y-yeah, I'm fine."

Sasuke realized with a moment of shock that this must have been the first time anyone had shown any concern for him. Ever.

The second shock Sasuke felt was the discovery that his concern for Naruto had been genuine.

Kakashi made a mental note as Naruto took off his headband and tossed it to the ground, then vanished in a puff of smoke. The headband turned into Naruto.

Clever, Kakashi thought to himself. By being his own hitai-ate he was able to stay right in the thick of the fight while his clone took the brunt of the fighting. The headband protects the forehead, and as such, it is the last thing an enemy would think to aim for.

"Tazuna-san," Kakashi's voice was gentle but firm. "Our attackers appear to be chunin from Kirigakure. They are shinobi renowned for their willingness to fight on until their goal is attained, even at the cost of their own lives." Kakashi gauged Tazuna's face and found no real surprise.

"They were clearly watching and waiting for us." Kakashi shot a look over at the two enemy ninja, still tied to their tree. "The sun was out and it hasn't rained in several days. So there shouldn't have been any puddles on the ground."

"If you knew all that, why did you let those creeps attack you?" demanded Tazuna.

"Information," Shikamaru said from the side.

Naruto looked confused. "Huh?"

"Baka!" said Sasuke with irritation. "He wanted to know who the Mist ninja were really after."

"Exactly," said Kakashi. "There has been no word of shinobi seeking to take your life. The request relayed to Lord Hokage was to give you an escort back to your homeland to guard against roving bands of thieves and brigands." Kakashi crossed his arms thoughtfully. "It is clear that this is more than a 'C' rank mission as it was originally detailed, at least a 'B' rank, if not 'A'. To protect you from ordinary dangers until you finish the bridge you are currently working on would be simple. But... if you expected to be the target of a ninja assassination, then it is beyond question that this would have been classified — and priced — as a mission for jounin."

Tazuna hung his head silently. After a moment, Kakashi continued. "You may have had your reasons, Tazuna-san, but it is never a good idea to conceal the facts when seeking help. As it currently stands this task is _far_ beyond the parameters of the mission we were assigned. And it is certainly beyond the ability of any genin, even..." He trailed off.

"So we can go home then?" Shikamaru said hopefully.

Naruto and Sasuke caught each other's eye.

--

"Failed? What the hell do you mean, 'Failed?'" roared the short man in the business suit. "If you weren't supposed to be the best, I wouldn't have paid top dollar for your skills!"

"Gato..." said the camouflage-wearing ninja lounging on the couch, before whipping the massive blade from across his back in a deadly arc, forward...

--

"NO!" said Naruto and Sasuke in unison.

Shikamaru growled in exasperation. "Why not?!" he demanded. "We're not cut out for this. We're just genin! We've got no business—"

"You caught those two!" said Naruto. "You did just fine against them. You caught them before they could even make a move against you!"

Shikamaru's scowl grew deeper, but he didn't protest further.

"If you wanna go back, then go! Be a coward; I don't _care_!" Naruto shouted, tears at the corners of his eyes. "But I'm staying! Even if Kakashi-sensei leaves, I'm gonna finish this mission because that's what I was hired to do!"

--

"Do stop whining, if you please. There's nothing to worry about."

Gato stood stock still, the point of the monstrous sword hovering motionless less than an inch from his nose.

"I, with my killing blade, will take the hit myself."

Gato's manservant trembled convulsively, frightened. "Are you certain? The enemy has hired ninja of tremendous skill! And besides... now that the Demon Brothers have tried and failed, they'll be on their guard against further attempts!"

"Remember who you are talking to," said the ninja, the sword still not wavering. "I am Mamochi Zabuza, the Demon of Kirigakure!"

--

"The fog is pretty thick," commented Naruto.

They all sat in the bow of the small boat, as the boatman pushed them along through the mist with a long pole. One could barely see the water through all the fog. "We'll be able to see the bridge in a minute," said the boatman in a hushed voice. "On the other side is Nami no Kuni." Nami no Kuni; the land of the waves… Where Tazuna was from.

They looked expectantly forward, eyes straining. Slowly, up high, shapes began to form in the fog. As they drew nearer, the shapes took on more distinct form, until they saw themselves passing the first of the massive stone supports of the still incomplete bridge.

"Whoa! It's huge!" exclaimed Naruto.

"Keep it down!" hissed the boatman. "The fog hides us from sight, but we can't afford to be heard. That's why we shut off the engines. If Gato catches us..."

Kakashi shot Tazuna an unpleasant, if brief, look, remembering the conversation of the previous day...

(Flashback)

"Ahh... Sensei-san, sir?"

Kakashi's one visible eyebrow rose momentarily.

"There's... uh... something you should know. About the request for help I made to your village."

The resignation in Kakashi's eye indicated for him to continue.

"As you guessed, this job is more dangerous than I led you to believe. There's a real scary man who wants to see me dead."

Beyond them, Naruto was goofing around with Shikamaru and Sasuke, juggling clones transformed into kunai. The clones would change back into their normal selves while in the air, before changing back into kunai for Naruto to catch and throw into the air again. It was a fairly impressive feat of concentration, at least until one of the clones mistimed a transformation and landed on top of the juggler, arms akimbo, with the rest of the clones to follow. Shikamaru started laughing uproariously, and even Sasuke cracked a grin.

Kakashi looked back at Tazuna. "Who is he?"

Tazuna hesitated for a second longer, then let out a sigh. "You've probably heard of him." He paused. Kakashi waited for him to continue, and finally, he did. "He's a billionaire in the field of marine transportation. His name is Gato."

Kakashi gasped, and broke out into a cold sweat. "You mean... Gato, of Gato Shipping and Transportation? _The_ Gato?! They say he's the richest man in the world!"

Tazuna nodded. "Yes; but that's just the surface. The reality of Gato runs deeper. He's a ruthless, murdering crime-boss, trafficking in the lowest and most contemptible practices known to man. He starts out by taking over local companies, one by one, and ends up running entire countries. And a year ago he set his sights on the Land of Waves."

Tazuna took a deep breath before going on. "He started out innocuously enough; a simple business venture, set up competition with our local ferries. But then the violence and sabotage began. In a few months, he'd bought out the last of the ferries, then our marine transports, even our fishing boats, until finally he had control over our entire maritime resources. The only thing that can get us out from under his thumb is something that makes us no longer need his ships to get to the mainland."

"The bridge," said Kakashi.

"Exactly so," Tazuna confirmed with a sigh.

"So then, if you knew all this... why didn't you tell us when you asked for help?" inquired Kakashi.

"The Land of Waves really isn't much more than a bunch of islands. Even our local lords are poor, and only more so with Gato's stranglehold over our lifeline to the mainland. I have no money at all. Hire a B-ranked bodyguard? I might as well try to buy Gato's company out from under him."

Kakashi's eye narrowed in annoyance, in transition to anger.

"If you turn away from me now, I'm as good as dead," Tazuna said.

"Who's giving up?" asked Naruto from next to them. "I already told you, even if everybody else leaves, I'm still gonna stay."

Kakashi scowled under his mask. He hadn't realized the boy had been listening. "Quit making promises for us!"

"He has a family!" retorted Naruto, pointing at Tazuna. "Family who love him and need him. Would you just... abandon him and leave them lost and alone?"

Sasuke was standing a short distance away; still in earshot, apparently. "Hey, dobe, whose side are you on, his or the village?"

Sasuke tensed slightly as Naruto whirled on him. "Whose side has the village been on? Whose?" the blond genin snarled, a dark anger showing on his face. "Should I hold out for the money the village thinks it should get, or defend someone who can't defend themself?" Naruto's fists were clenched, white knuckled. Slowly, with an obvious effort, Naruto relaxed them before continuing. "Kids without parents..."

Sasuke flinched, as Naruto trailed off. "They end up like you, sometimes. Isn't that what you were about to say?" Sasuke asked softly.

Kakashi watched the exchange with some interest. _As bad a situation as this is_, Kakashi mused, _Somehow I get the feeling that this could mean the most to Naruto, maybe restore some of his lost faith in the world around him. And in spite of his potential, something has been lacking from Naruto since his return to the village. If this could restore his spirit, in the long run, that could be a better payment than any sum of gold._

And it was true the three of them acquitted themselves well in the first attack; they all responded quickly and effectively, in an attack by higher ranked ninja. Kakashi thought furiously for a moment. His brain said to go back, but his instincts said to let it ride.

_Instincts it is_, he thought. Aloud, he said, "Well, I suppose we can accompany you, at least until you get home."

Tazuna's look — a look of only slightly better than indifferent satisfaction — was anything but comforting. _This_, Kakashi thought darkly, _has GOT to be the worst assignment ever_.

(End flashback)

"We'll be there soon," said Tazuna, snapping Kakashi out of his reverie. The fog was lifting; buildings were visible as faint outlines perhaps twenty or thirty yards away.

The boatman looked over at Tazuna. "We've been overlooked so far... but to be on the safe side, we're taking an inland waterway through town until we can make landfall under the cover of the mangroves further upriver."

"Thank you," said Tazuna.

The boat drifted quietly through a tunnel. Naruto's eyes grew wide as the emerged from the far side. "_Cool_..!" he breathed reverently.

Admittedly, it _was_ a beautiful sight. The tide was high, and the mangroves twined with one another high out of the water, looking for all the world as though they'd grown out of it. Buildings rose on stilts over the waterway, and it appeared that half the town was suspended over water.

A few minutes later, the boatman poled the boat alongside a wooden landing leading up to an old, weather-beaten house. "This is as far as I go," he said. "Take care of yourself, Tazuna."

"Thanks," Tazuna replied. "You took a big risk, taking me this far. I shouldn't have asked it of you." Tazuna remained oblivious to the slightly resentful looks that Kakashi and Shikamaru were giving him when he said this. "Okay!" said Tazuna. "Now, if I can just make it home in one piece..."

"When," corrected Naruto.

"Hmm?" came from Tazuna. He apparently didn't quite follow the short reply.

"When, not 'if'," Naruto clarified. "I'll get you home."

Tazuna smiled a little at this.

Kakashi was not nearly so certain. _There's bound to be another attack_, he thought to himself. _And the next time, they won't send chunin. We'll be up against jounin. How much worse can this get?_

Something rustled in the bushes to the left. Naruto had a shuriken out and flying, whipping through the foliage and into something behind with a resounding 'THOCK'.

"What is it?" asked Shikamaru, eyes narrowed and hands poised to form seals.

"I heard something in the bushes," Naruto said.

Kakashi walked forward, Naruto in tow.

Behind the foliage there was a small, white rabbit, shuriken embedded in the tree trunk just above its head, pinning it in place by the fur on its crown. Naruto grabbed the shaking, shocked animal and started petting it, trying to comfort it. "I'mSorryI'mSorryI'mSorry!" he chanted, rocking it.

"Baka-mono!" Tazuna exploded. "Protecting me from rabbits!?"

"Smooth, moron," added Sasuke. "You didn't even aim for the sound."

Shikamaru narrowed his eyes at the white rabbit in Naruto's arms, as did Kakashi.

--

Above them, in the trees, Mamochi Zabuza watched as they stopped moving, all of them paying attention to the Hare.

_Just a bunch of kids_, thought Zabuza to himself. _They couldn't have stopped the Demon Brothers. Their leader, though… That's a Konoha jounin; and not just any jounin, but Kakashi the Mirror Ninja, himself. On the one hand, this might be a difficult fight... but on the other hand, I only have one opponent of any real caliber_.

Zabuza allowed himself a thin, bloodthirsty smile as he gripped his massive cleaving sword.

--

"Kakashi!" shouted Shikamaru. "The rabbit, it's—"

"Everybody down!" Kakashi barked the order. Shikamaru tackled Naruto while Sasuke covered Tazuna. Over their heads a sickeningly deep VUNNNNN sound ended in a SHUCNK as a monstrous single-edged sword buried itself in the tree they'd been standing next to, fully halfway through the trunk. Before it could properly start vibrating from the impact, a sandled foot landed lightly on the handle.

"Well, well. If it isn't Mamochi Zabuza, prodigal son of Kirigakure," drawled Kakashi, standing up from his crouch.

Naruto began to lunge forward, but Kakashi grabbed his shoulder. "Don't interfere. I need room." Naruto looked up at Kakashi, about to protest, but Kakashi shook his head. "This is on a completely different level from the first attack."

So saying, Kakashi lifted his headband, revealing his left eye.

Zabuza looked down at them. "Kakashi of the Sharingan Eye, I presume?" he asked. "If it wouldn't be too much trouble, could you surrender the old man?"

Naruto and Sasuke gasped, while Shikamaru looked puzzled.

"Manji Formation; protect Tazuna. All of you stay out of this fight. That's what I need you to do to help." Kakashi's left eye swirled. "Shall we?" he directed at Zabuza.

"So quickly... I'm flattered! This truly is an honor!" smirked Zabuza. "Back when I was still Kirigakure, I had the usual bingo book of who's who amongst our enemies. And on you, there was quite the file: Kakashi, the Mirror Ninja, who had penetrated and copied over a thousand techniques."

"But the Sharingan is supposed to be unique to a small number of the Uchiha Clan!" Sasuke protested softly.

"Not anymore," Naruto replied gently. Sasuke looked over at Naruto to ask him to clarify, and the words stopped dead in his throat.

Naruto's eyes were Sharingan. And not just any Sharingan, but Mangekyou Sharingan, in the form of a nine pointed, jagged star. And he wasn't watching Zabuza, he was watching Kakashi.

_**Author's Note:**_

_I know the six week skip is frustrating for a number of readers, but I left this deliberately vague for a reason. Not only do I want the readers to be kept guessing as to what is on the scroll (I have a rather large list of jutsu from both the series and the movies) but also I don't want to bore the readers with 6 weeks of training ala space ship to Namek in Dragon Ball Z (One hundred times gravity! Now, five thousand pushups! 50 laps around the space ship!). Actually, rather than write that crap, I'd cut out my left eye. I refuse to have my first 300k word fic start out with 250k of intro for the training._

_As to the village council, I envision the position of Hokage as being less than absolute rule. Much as in many modern political systems, there is a series of checks and balances in place. The ability of a unanimous Ccouncil to override the Hokage is an example of this. Naruto's return to the village has created a bit of an uproar because he turned himself in, has been a good little shinobi since he returned, and shows no sign of wishing harm on the village. Even so, the Council is just looking for an excuse. Expect more trouble from them on this in the future._

_I got a mention in the reviews section saying it was far fetched to believe the forbidden scroll held all the Kekkei Genkei (However you spell it) of the village. I wanted to give a different take on why the scroll was forbidden and why every ANBU in the village would go after Naruto while he had it, while the supposedly most valuable bloodline in the village going missing barely warranted a footnote as Nuke-nin when Sasuke leaves the village. So long as there is a chance for Konoha to regain Sasuke, they aren't going to utilize the knowledge on the Forbidden Scroll. Although, with the death of the Third Hokage before he could properly brief Tsunade on the information the scroll contains, the possibility exists that Tsunade has no clue about the importance of the Forbidden Scroll._

_My idea is that the Forbidden Scroll doesn't just detail powerful and possibly dangerous jutsu, but also maintains a record of all these bloodlines. After all, it must be possible to implant these abilities into people's bloodlines because the abilities came from SOMEWHERE. But Konoha remains these strongest of the hidden villages because, even though they can lose an entire bloodline, they retain the techniques for implanting it in a scroll accessible only to the Hokage. And except when the implantation of a lost bloodline is needed, the only person in the village aware of this is the Hokage himself. My idea is that, should one of the bloodlines die out, a child is selected, likely from the orphanage, if not a child of... dubious heritage... to be given the bloodline in a secret rite enacted by ANBU and the Hokage. The child, when he or she grows up, will later be "revealed" to be a lost bastard (In the sense of a child born out of wedlock) of the clan, so that by sacrificing a little bit of the legitimacy of the child and its parents, the power isn't lost from the village. And yes, I think they would do that. It isn't NEARLY as morally or ethically questionable as implanting an incarnate demon into an infant. The main reason that the Hokage would impart this information to Kakashi is that Naruto is obviously not an Uchiha, so the Sharingan had to come from somewhere, and as the Jounin who would be in place to terminate the boy should it become necessary, he needed to know all the details he could to complete his mission. And Kakashi is already known to be Ex-ANBU anyhow, but even to ANBU, knowledge of the true purpose of the Forbidden Scroll is a purely need to know basis. Orochimaru never tried for the scroll because until the time of the second reign of the Third Hokage (who also went by the title "the Professor") the knowledge had never been gathered in one place before. Hopefully this clears up that question as to my take on the forbidden scroll._

_Mangekyou Sharingan- Why is Naruto using it this early? Because while he has it, he doesn't know enough about Sharingan to know what level of it he should be using. Naruto has never been a great one for finesse or efficiency, he's simply channeling as much chakra to his eyes as he can. All he knows right now about the Sharingan is that it can help him memorize actions being taken around him. And he's watching Kakashi so that he can learn how to use Sharingan more effectively. He has no clue about the use of the higher techniques associated with the Mangekyou such as Tsukiyomi and Amaterasu. I'm not merely going to stick to the ones mentioned in the Manga. Kakashi, through his development of his Mangekyou, created a technique unique to his Sharingan eye, likely one that complimented his outlook on life. Naruto, when he advances far enough, will do the same. Although not for quite some time yet. He has the gift... but he doesn't yet have the knowledge to make the most efficient use of it yet._

_Oh, and the title of this chapter? Look it up in an online dictionary :)_

_Til next time. _

_-AXENOME_


	4. Chapter Three: Misreckoning

Previously:

The three genin, their jonin instructor, and Tazuna began their journey to the Land of Waves. Ambushed by Chunin ninja from Mist, the three genin acquitted themselves well, making quick work of the pair. Tazuna is confronted on his chicanery, and after some time admits his ommission of who wants him dead. Meanwhile, Naruto receives concern over his well being from one of his team mates, and isn't sure how to respond. They continue on their way, but on their arrival they encounter a decoy rabbit. Zabuza introduces himself, he and Kakashi square off, and as Kakashi reveals his Sharingan Eye, the fight looks like it's ready to begin. But then Sasuke notices- Naruto is manifesting the Sharingan as well! And not just any Sharingan, but the Mangekyou...

Chapter 3: Misreckoning

Shikamaru watched incredulously as Naruto's eye began to manifest some strange markings- and then in even deeper startlement he noted Sasuke's reaction to them. The normally reserved and taciturn heir to the Uchiha clan recoiled from Naruto as though he were a poisonous viper, and seemed poised between assaulting the blonde genin and fleeing him as fast as possible. Naruto noticed the reaction as well. "What are you-" He asked, reaching out a hand, but was cut off as Sasuke slapped his hand away.

"Get away from me, you monster!" He shouted.

--

Both Kakashi's and Zabuza's eyes darted in the direction of the genin at the sound of the outburst. Zabuza took the opportunity, with everyone distracted, and threw a cluster of shuriken at Tazuna. But Naruto moved first, turning away from Sasuke, and making a flurry of seals. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Suddenly there were three Narutos, each of whom slashed a kunai at an incoming shuriken, deflecting them.

Kakashi turned his head to face Zabuza again, but the nuke-nin was already in motion. In a single economic leap he was standing on the surface of the nearby river, hands a blur.

"Witness first-hand the finest of the Shinobi arts: Kirigakure no Jutsu." Said Zabuza, as mist thickened around them all, obscuring first him from view, and then each other from the sight of Team seven.

"Our conversation has been rather pleasant so far, yet sadly I'm on rather a tight schedule to kill the old man. But as much as it galls me to admit it, I think I'm going to have to kill all of you first." Zabuza's voice carried unsteadily through the mist, making it impossible to pinpoint him by sound.

"All of you- stay on your toes." Said Kakashi. "Mamochi Zabuza is a famous master of the art of silent killing. And I haven't necessarily mastered every aspect of the Sharingan, so don't let your guard down."

There was a minute of tense silence. Each of them strained their eyes to garner any sort of warning about what was lurking in the mist. Kakashi began making frantic seals with his hands.

The others watched warily, nervously. Sasuke began to tremble.

"Sasuke." The voice made him jump. "Calm down. Even if he gets me, I'll still protect you."

Sasuke looked over ahead, where he could faintly see Kakashi smiling at him. "I will never let my comrades die."

A voice from the mist replied, "I wouldn't bet on that."

And with no further warning, Zabuza was among them. "Game over."

--

Dammit! Thought Shikamaru. No shadows- the light is too diffuse!

--

What the? Thought Sasuke.

--

_SHIT!_ Thought Naruto. _Now what?_

**TAZUNA. KAGE BUNSHIN AND KAWARIMI.**

_Yeah! And one more jutsu with it..._ thought Naruto in reply.

--

Watching Kakashi use the Sharingan taught Naruto a lot. He tumbled with Tazuna, leaving two of his Kage Bunshin behind, one of whom was Henge'd to look like Tazuna. Both clones were abruptly knocked to the ground as Kakashi's Mizu Bunshin grappled against Zabuza roughly, their blades locked.

But in this case, bigger turned out not to be better- Kakashi's kunai was much more usable in the point blank grapple than the cleaving blade, and Zabuza's mizu bunshin came apart in a spray of water. Kakashi's own mizu bunshin was cloven from behind as Zabuza emerged from the mist- and the real Kakashi was standing right behind him, a kunai at his throat.

"Game over." Kakashi said.

"Too easy..." Muttered Shikamaru with a frown.

"Huh?" Said Naruto's Kage bunshin. "Why?"

"Zabuza's smart." Shikamaru replied. "He relishes distractions and misdirection. He talks to buy himself time to build up chakra for an attack, or to get into position. He grandstands as a smokescreen to conceal what he's really doing."

Sasuke nodded. "So the real question remains- what is he doing now?"

--

Zabuza stood motionless, an enigmatic look in his eyes, while Kakashi held the kunai to his throat. Gently, he began laughing. "Game over, you say?" He said. "Not quite. But I commend you on your skills- it seems your reputation is not without merit! You not only copied my Mizu Bunshin, but even did so while penetrating my Kirigakure Jutsu. And by having your Bunshin say something you yourself would have, you focussed my attention on the bunshin while you copied my Kirigakure, waiting for me to make my move! Luckily for me..."

Zabuza's voice suddenly came from behind Kakashi as he said, "I'm not that easy to fool!"

Kakashi's kunai dispelled the mizu bunshin in front of him, but Zabuza- the real one- was already in motion. A desperate drop carried Kakashi out of the arc of the deadly sword, and Zabuza altered the arc of its swing to drive it into the ground, transferring the momentum of the swing into a spin that threw the full force of his strength into a brutal kick that caught Kakashi off balance, unable to dodge. Kakashi flew in a low, long trajectory that carried him clear over the Tazuna-bunshin into the river beyond. Zabuza rushed Tazuna, tearing the sword from the ground, but skidded to a halt as he saw the dealy glint of steel littering the ground in his path. Naruto grabbed Tazuna and carried him out of the line of danger; Zabuza whipped his head towards the river.

_Can't afford to lose sight of him,_ Zabuza thought, _And this is the perfect chance to finish him anyway._

--

Kakashi surfaced with an effort. _Why is the water so heavy?_ He asked himself.

Suddenly Zabuza was behind him, hands blurring. Kakashi whirled to face him, but in the restricting water, he was too slow. He turned just in time to see the laughter in Zabuza's eyes as the water rushed up around him.

--

The three genin watched in dismay as Zabuza completed the water prison. "Heh. That prison is inescapable. You're trapped." Zabuza looked over in their direction, then back at Kakashi. "You running around free makes it decidedly onerous to go about my job. With you immobilized, I can deal with the others more expediently, and finish you off later, if drowning doesn't do it first."

Several moments passed as a Mizu Bunshin swelled up from the surface of the river. Naruto's clone narrowed his eyes as the Zabuza clone approached. "And the little ninja wannabes... Especially the bunny hugger. Trying to comfort a decoy rabbit- and you dare wear the hitai-ate?"

The mizu bunshin snorted, making a dismissive gesture. "A real ninja would rate a listing in my bingo book, but a fool like you? We don't call your kind ninja." The clone faded into the mist. "We call them..."

Naruto's clone was thrown violently forward as Zabuza's mizu bunshin kicked him in the back. Naruto's clone skidded a dozen feet before collapsing in a spray of water.

"...What?" Said Zabuza.

"I'd say you may want to update your bingo book, Zabuza..." Said Kakashi thoughtfully. "It seems to me you've been outfoxed."

At this, the Tazuna Bunshin stood up, and in a puff of smoke transformed back into Naruto. "Whoops." Said the second shadow clone. "I think you may have been looking for me."

"Not really." Said another Mizu Bunshin from behind him. "You should get over yourself. Neither clones nor clothes make a ninja... Brat."

Naruto's second clone disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"That the best you got, kid?" Zabuza's clone sneered. "I'll give you this. You've got balls. You don't stand a chance, but you've still got balls."

Naruto leaped out of the shadows at the clone, who looked entirely unsurprised. Catching the boy in mid air, Zabuza stripped off the hitai-ate while delivering a solid stomp kick to his chest, flinging him backwards into a tree trunk. The headband flopped to the ground, where the clone stepped on it.

"Leave the hitai-ate for a real ninja." Said Zabuza.

Naruto stood up, blood trickling from his lower lip. His hair hung over his eyes. "Hey, freak. What's life like without eyebrows?"

Zabuza shot a quick look upwards before his face grew dark with budding anger. "You..."

"Sasuke." Naruto said. "You have it too, don't you."

Sasuke took a step backwards. "W-what? How dare you-"

"Sharingan. Don't lie to me. You have the bloodline, and you've already awakened it." Naruto spat out blood and wiped his lip.

Sasuke hesitated, but someone else answered for him. "He does." Said Shikamaru, looking closely at Naruto. _His lip isn't swelling. I wonder if Zabuza noticed?_

"Shikamaru, you're smart." Said Naruto. "You'll know what to do and when to do it."

Shikamaru's eyes widened. _Of course!_

Naruto looked back at Zabuza's mizu bunshin, whose eyes widened slightly at the sight of Naruto's sharingan. "Sasuke. Let's go."

--

Sasuke hesitated. "I don't trust you- I know where the Mangekyou comes from!"

Naruto snorted. "And?"

"You murdered your best friend! And you don't even care!" Sasuke shouted. "Just for power!"

"Now isn't the time. We need to-" Naruto began, but was interrupted.

"Murdered your best friend?" Zabuza said with a raised eyebrow. "Maybe I was wrong about you, kid. Maybe you do have what it takes, after all."

Naruto just shrugged at him. "As future Hokage, I'd better." And he lunged forward.

Naruto began shedding close like water. Shuriken flew in all directions, kunai flashed, and momentarily Zabuza's clone was obscured. Then his monstrous sword whirled in a hurricane of tempered steel, and the crowd of Naruto's vanished in puffs of smoke. One flew backwards, tossing a windmill shuriken to Sasuke. Sasuke got the drift immediately. He spun the weapon open and threw it, aiming not for the clone but for the real Zabuza.

"Not bad, kid- you at least had the sense-" But Zabuza's bunshin got no further, as the Hitai-ate under his foot transformed into the real Naruto. "Surprise, you jerk!" He said, bracing his foot into Zabuza's crotch and brutally kicking him upwards, directly into the path of the kunai thrown by Shikamaru. Zabuza's clone came apart in a spray of water.

--

Zabuza was so startled by the sudden turn against his mizu bunshin he almost missed the catch on the incoming windmill shuriken- and the one in its shadow missed his leaping feet by only a fraction of an inch.

"Not bad for an amateur!" He scoffed- until he felt a hand catch his ankle in a grip of iron- the second shuriken had transformed into a Kage Bunshin Naruto. "Surprise number two!"

A weight appeared in Zabuza's catching hand, before that wrist was also seized. "And surprise number three!" Said the other had-been shuriken. The two clones used their weight to try and hold Zabuza still for the follow up pairs of kunai thrown by Shikamaru and Sasuke, but Zabuza twisted out of their path, tucking himself into a side spin that brought his opposing elbow into the Naruto clone in his left hand, while the clone hanging from his right foot received a vicious stomp kick from his left foot. Both clones vanished in smoke while Zabuza tucked and rolled backwards, righting himself to his feet before he could sink below the surface of the water. Kakashi, now freed, also stood on the water in front of him, kunai in his hand.

Zabuza let the anger in his eyes calm, before he spoke. "You've got next to no training, kid. Minimal skills. Your foot work is sloppy and your control is wasteful to say the least."

"Did good enough for you, though, didn't I?" Naruto said in response.

"Yeah. You did." Zabuza admitted. "And here I am in the middle of a Sharingan training ground."

Zabuza leaped backwards into a mangrove tree near the shoreline. "I'm no fool. One sharingan at a time is bad enough. I'm not getting paid enough to take on three."

Naruto's eyes narrowed. "You're giving up? Just like that, then?"

Zabuza's eyes smiled. "Well, not really..." He said. "Actually, I need to rethink my strategy... Unless..."

"Unless what?" Said Sasuke.

"Well, I hate to leave a job empty handed... But..." Zabuza gave a momentary pause. "I can arrange for you to have an easier time with this assignment of yours." Nobody answered, so after a few seconds, he continued. "You see, I've been having some difficulties of late."

"Shinobi hunters." Said Kakashi. "From Kirigakure. And the failed coup against the Mizukage."

Zabuza raised an eyebrow. "Just so. Although I'm surprised you know of it."

Kakashi replied, "When you attempted to murder the Mizukage and defected from Kirigakure, your actions were reported to us. Since then, you've been trying to raise funds for another try, and barely staying ahead of the Shinobi hunters." Zabuza said nothing, while Kakashi went on. "It's why you would stoop to work for a parasite like Gato."

"Kirigakure is no friend of Konoha- why should you care?" Zabuza countered. "Even so, I can still be jhired away from him. Make me a better offer."

"We don't have the money-" Kakashi began, but Zabuza interrupted him.

"I don't want money from you." Zabuza said.

--

Shikamaru listened warily. _No,_ he thought. _He doesn't want money. Even Nuke-nin can get that anywhere, doing odd jobs. He's trying to rebuild his army to attempt another coup against Kirigakure. Money is just a means to an end, and if you can get that end without resorting to money..._

Shikamaru shot a look over at Naruto. _The real question,_ he thought to himself, _is what Naruto's answer will be._

--

Sasuke focused his attention on Naruto's neck, kunai in hand and Sharingan activated. Once Zabuza asked the question, he'd know- and if Naruto was willing to accept the offer, he would die.

--

Naruto watched Zabuza carefully. _No money?_ He asked himself. _So what DOES he want?_

**WHAT DO ALL HUMANS WITH POWER WANT?** The Kyuubii replied. **MORE POWER. AND WHEN ONE CAN NO LONGER INCREASE ONE'S OWN POWER, HE THEN SEEKS TO ACQUIRE MORE POWERFUL SUBORDINATES.**

_Subordinates? HEY! You mean he wants one of us?_

Naruto could almost hear the long suffering sigh of irritation. **HE WANTS NONE OF THE OTHERS, YOU FOOL. HE WANTS YOU AND I.**

_But he doesn't- I haven't even USED you yet!_ Naruto protested in his mind.

**NOR DID YOU NEED TO... YET. BUT I DO NOT THINK HE WOULD HAVE DARED THIS IF YOU HAD.** The Kyuubii paused. **DID YOU WANT TO ACCEPT?**

_What?! Why would I ever go with him?_

**HE WAS STRONG ENOUGH TO DEFEAT KAKASHI SENSEI. HE MIGHT BE ABLE TO TRAIN YOU FAR BETTER.**

_But Kakashi knows how to use the Sharingan! He's famous for how well he uses it- you said so yourself! And I barely even know how to activate it!_

**PERHAPS... BUT THE SHARINGAN IS NOT THE ONLY TOOL IN YOUR ARSENAL- AND BY FAR IS IT NOT THE ONLY PATH TO ADVANCED JUTSU THAT YOU KNOW.** In Naruto's mind, an image flashed of a copied scroll kept hidden in his backpack- the work of four days and nights of constant writing before returning the master back to the village under cover of darkness. **SHOULD HE BE ABLE TO BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN YOUR LEVEL OF CONTROL, AND THAT NEEDED FOR THE MASTERY OF WHAT ELSE REMAINS IN THAT SCROLL...**

Naruto thought about this long and hard. A memory flashed in his mind's eye as he began to waver...

("In the end... if you protect them... you... win...")

At last, Zabuza looked in Naruto's direction. "Well, kid? What do you say?"

--

Kakashi watched anxiously as Naruto favored Zabuza with the kind of grin that hadn't been seen on his face since the incident with Mizuki. "Sounds like fun... But I'd rather pry my teeth out with a pitchfork."

Kakashi let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Naruto continued, "And when you leave, don't bother to come back. Next time I see you, I'll kill you. Your head would make a great peace offering coming from the future Hokage to the Mizukage."

Everyone present shivered at the casual malice in Naruto's voice, even Zabuza. But the Nuke-nin settled himself quickly. "Don't worry, kid. Cause if there IS a next time, you won't see me- and your eyes can't save you from what you can't see." By the time he'd finished speaking, Zabuza had already faded into the mist, and within seconds the mist too faded away. Zabuza was already gone.

Kakashi pulled his headband back down over his left eye. "Well, I'll agree with him on one thing: You did a fine job, but you all need more training."

Naruto nodded with a smile, before a strange look came over his face, as his sharingan eyes suddenly reverted to normal and his legs turned to water, pitching him face forward on the ground.

--

Tazuna looked down at Naruto, the genin already unconscious. "Will he be alright?" He asked.

Kakashi shrugged. "The Sharingan is rather... hard on those who were not born to it. And on top of this he is suffering from Chakra depletion. Just the chakra depletion alone, he should recover from quickly, but depending on how long he was using the Sharingan-"

"Um..." Said Shikamaru, "The whole fight, pretty much- along with a couple of his Kage Bunshin using it as well."

Kakashi winced, then sighed. "He needs a place to stay and rest, then."

Tazuna nodded cheerfully. "You can rest up at my place, then."

As Kakashi slung Naruto over his shoulder, Tazuna laughed. "Must be pretty humiliating- four of you fighting only one person, and barely managing a draw! But then," He said, musing, "I suppose I got what I paid for..."

The dark looks granted by Sasuke, Shikamaru, and Kakashi went unnoticed. With a fueful tone in his voice, Kakashi said, "And it appears that we will be sticking around for a while." _In spite of our employer,_ he didn't add out loud.

End Chapter Three

-AN:  
Well, that would appear to be chapter three. (Congratulates self on mastery of stating the obvious. Next goal: Prove sunlight.)

I know that Naruto starts off by going Rogue. He comes back, in order to prove himself to the village that he will be their protector, even if they hate him. In this one, he has no friends, and doesn't really try anymore. Remember the word "Trust." It will be important later- mostly in a later flashback scene that involves a memory hinted at above. I DO have a plan for this story, although beyone one or two chapters ahead it's still pretty damned fluid. Hinata is the likeliest pairing, but the hints of this won't even show up until the Chuunin exams, and I have one more "C" rank mission I'd like to throw in before I get to that. Plus, I've not yet fully fleshed it out yet, but Naruto may end up going AWOL again.

A comment left by a reader was that Tazuna was far meaner to Naruto than in canon. All I can say to this, is, that Naruto never humiliated Tazuna by sticking a knife to his ribs in canon either. Instead of seeing Naruto as an annoying, if harmless, kid, he now sees him as a loose cannon who threatened him to prove an unimportant point. This of course could lower anyone's opinion, especially the opinion of a man who isn't being as honest about the job he's hiring for as he should be. People with feelings of guilt often look for a target to lash out at.

I've also received some questions. For instance, If the Yondaime was really Naruto's Godfather rather than his father, what happened to his parent? The answer to this... IS A SECRET! Well, for now, at any rate. I've already planned this out a little, but if it turns out to be providing a storyline hole then I'll likely have to change it a bit. But until then I don't want to ruin the surprise. No, Naruto doesn't have a native Kekkei Genkai, and I don't plan for the Uzumaki clan to be a powerful, lost clan like the Uchiha. Been done to death. I'll say this much- it's Naruto's mother that is the big deal in this story.

On a side note, does anyone remember the full name of the ANBU Root director Danzou? He features in this fic, rather prominently, but I'd like to know more about him, especially since my knowledge of him stems from some subbed anime imports from Japan that a buddy of mine loaned me about six months ago, meaning I'm lucky to remember even that his name is Danzou... at least, I think that's what it was... XP

Thanks to all of you who have read my story- I hope you like it so far, and feel free to leave any comments, critiques, complaints, concerns, and cookies in the reviews panel. I don't spaz out over flames but I prefer they not be TOO common, as it makes it hard for people to discuss back and forth in the reviews about the story.

Til Next time!

-AXENOME


	5. Chapter Four: Naked Eye

Previously: Kakashi faces off against the most powerful threat to Tazuna yet: a nuke-nin by the name of Zabuza. Zabuza's talent seems to overcome the Sharingan user with only a modicum of difficulty, but the combined efforts of the genin squad, led by Naruto, manages to free their teacher. Zabuza indicates that he knows when he is overmatched, and makes an offer to abandon his own mission should Naruto agree to join him in his own agenda- an offer which, after careful consideration, Naruto refuses. Yet after a chiling threat and Zabuza's departure, Naruto collapses. Having little choice but to remain in the area while Naruto recovers, Kakashi accepts Tazuna's abrassive offer to rest up at his home...

Chapter Four: Naked Eye

Naruto was sleeping soundly on a tatami provided by Tazuna's daughter, a demure and sweet young woman by the name of Tsunami. "Will he be alright, sensei?" She asked Kakashi.

Kakashi rubbed his chin. "That's hard to say. His chakra pathways, while strong, aren't developed enough for the strain of handling a Kekkei Genkai that isn't naturally a part of his body. I myself have similar troubles from time to time with my own Sharingan. But I am more experienced, more used to it- and also, I do not have the degree of power that his Sharingan does. If I had put the strain on my body that he put himself through, I'd likely be incapacitated for about a week." He paused.

"... But?" Tsunami prompted after a second.

"..." Kakashi said nothing.

"If we're lucky, he won't recover at all." Said Sasuke.

Tsunami, Kakashi, and Shikamaru all stared at him in shock. Tazuna's eyes narrowed. "Does this have anything to do with friend that you mentioned before?"

Kakashi sighed. "Sasuke, you do not know the circumstances. I'd suggest you hold your tongue."

"What would you know about it?" Sasuke snapped.

Kakashi's visible eye gave him a flat look. "More than you think- about both the Sharingan and Naruto."

Sasuke huffed and looked away. "Whatever."

Kakashi turned his eye back to Tsunami. "To answer your earlier question, the Sharingan is a very powerful and complicated dojutsu. Especially for those of us who do not start out our lives with the bloodline. While it may never be activated in a person whose family carries it, the body immediately begins adapting itself to its presence- a little known fact is that if a Kekkei Genkai is implanted in a person before they reach puberty, they stand a strong chance of passing that trait on to their own children, even if it is not something they were born with." Kakashi absently looked up to the ceiling. "Which is why even though a body might be... harvested... for the bloodlines it carries, unless those traits are immediately planted into a child, likely the ability will not be acquired as a genetic trait. At most, they may garner enough information about the ability to learn how to create it from scratch in a new bloodline."

Even Sasuke was listening at this point, his earlier ire forgotten. Kakashi went on. "This is why by far the most difficult part of the Sharingan to acquire is the basic form- usually it manifests itself with a single or a pair of tomoes in the eyes of the bearer, to mature into double Tomoes in both eyes after some practice with its use. This is the manifestation of the Taijutsu Sharingan. The nascent chakra pathways in the eyes, when charged with chakra, create additional, semi-real nerve pathways to the visual center, the motor center, and the memory center of the brain. This permits them to process much more information than normally the nerves could transmit from eye to mind, in essence utilizing visual cues to allow the user to subconsciously calculate the intentions of one's opponent, cues like center of balance, facial expressions, poise, and posture. All of this combines together to provide a sixth sense, of a sort, that is extremely reliable in determining where and when an opponent will strike. "

Kakashi looked over where Naruto slept insensate. "Combined with a sharp and agile mind, this aspect of the Sharingan can teach a user quickly about the most likely actions of an opponent, even going so far as to force an unwary opponent's reflexes to perform exactly what the user wants him to."

"A sharp and agile mind, huh?" Said Sasuke. "So why does the Dobe use it well?"

Kakashi shook his head. "Regardless of his scholastic performance, Naruto is by no means stupid." Kakashi glared at Sasuke's snort. "Naruto is ignorant of many things- but when he puts his mind to a task, he can think his way through to a rough and ready solution fairly well. He's been very lonely, forever seeking the attention and approval of those around him since he first realized people avoided and disliked him. In the Academy, I suspect his lackluster performance stemmed greatly from caring more about the attention of his peers than his studies- especially since the hostility he received from his classmates was more muted than that of his instructors."

"But why did his instructors feel such a way about him?" Asked Tsunami. "And what does all this have to do with the Sharingan?"

Kakashi sat silent for a moment. Finally, he said, "I apologize, Tsunami san. The answer to both of those questions is classified information even within the village. But I can say that many, if not almost all, of Naruto's troubles sources from a poor decision made by a man in a powerful position when Naruto was a baby. Orphaned, he had no real defense against the ignorance of the only-partially-informed inhabitants of our village."

"You were talking about the Sharingan." Sasuke interjected. "You told us about the first level- what about after it?"

Kakashi nodded. "The second level of Sharingan reinforces the chakra based connections to reflexes and enhances the pathways to the memory centers, increasing again the speed of processing, and creating a total of three equidistant tomoes in the eye. Furthermore, it fully exploits the purposes of those tomoes."

"Which is?" Sasuke prompted.

"The Tomoes serve as an extra set of pupils in each eye, but specifically focus incoming light onto different portions of the retina, the ones that when charged with chakra are actually chakra reactive. In this fashion it allows the brain to process a path for the chakra flow of individuals it is seeing- very crude and rough, nothing to the degree of precision inherent in the Byakugan- just adequate enough to teach the user how the chakra must flow in order to activate a particular Ninjutsu. It also further increases the ability of the body to process incoming information from the eyes, allowing one to predict even hand seals based off of the miniscule tensing of musculature that precedes them. This enables the Copycat abilities of seasoned Sharingan users, teaching them instantly the ninja arts that they view first hand with the Sharingan Eye. The principles of the Taijutsu Sharingan also apply to the Ninjutsu Sharingan. Sufficiently advanced users can force opponents through hypnosis to perform specific jutsus, while slowing their own actions, thus making it appear that the copied jutsu is being performed faster than the original."

"The most powerful form of the Sharingan is the Genjutsu, or Mangekyou Sharingan. I know little about the operations of the Mangekyou Eye beyond its method of activation, and that from user to user in Uchiha history it is not u niform in appearance- each Mangekyou is unique. It is ironically the easiest- physically speaking- to acquire, but can only be gained at a truly terrible cost: The user must personally take the life of the one they hold most dear."

Tazuna shuddered at this. "But why?"

Kakashi looked over at the bridge builder. "As you probably guessed by what I have told you, the Sharingan is a Kekkei Genkai that alters the brain as much, if not moreso, than the eyes. And the psychology of a brain is just as vital in its function as the actual structure of it. The psychological damage one inflicts on oneself in the act of deliberately murdering the person closest to you creates incredible scars. But it also releases the most hindering portion of a person's psyche- the conscience. The strictures placed on a person's social interactions are necessary for a person to function normally in society, and one effect of unlocking the Mangekyou is that the user typically becomes severely unbalanced, almost to the point of complete sociopathy. They will frequently engage in homicidal rampages for no discernable reason."

"Like Itachi." Said Sasuke.

"Exactly so." Replied Kakashi. "And this damage can fester for a long time; suddenly surging to life months or even years after the fact."

Sasuke pulled out a kunai. "If everything you say is true, then we should probably... see to it that he doesn't wake up."

"No. I won't allow it." Kakashi said in a tone of finality. "Because of how he gained his Mangekyou. And for another reason as well. Mainly, he gained the Mangekyou by accident."

"By accident?" Shouted Sasuke. "How can you do that by accident?!"

Kakashi pondered for a moment longer, then finally decided to hell with the rules. He was going to give them the full story. "Because the village elders made a terrible choice- a terrible mistake. They ordered... the assassination of an unloved and lonely orphan. Naruto."

The shock and revulsion was clear on all their faces- even the normally laid back Shikamaru looked faintly ill. Kakashi continued, "But there was worse. I am not privy to all the details, but after the... death of Mizuki sensei, it was determined that the one who was to slay him had to be able to get close to him without arousing suspicion until he could strike... thus... it was decided that Iruka Sensei would be the one assigned to the task. Not just the best friend Naruto had, but indeed, the only friend he had. Someone Naruto loved, someone he would and did kill for only two months before. The council believed it was their best chance to be rid of the demon fox, whom they believed was making a resurgence in Naruto's body, after he killed Mizuki. They also feared the power he might carry after having... a certain object in his possession that was the reason for Mizuki and Iruka's involvement in the incident in the first place. But by and large I think their response stemmed more from guilt than anything else- the council was fully aware of the treatment that Naruto had received his whole life- indeed, many of them had personally instigated it. I imagine they feared Naruto would take vengeance on them if he had the power to do so."

Kakashi raised a finger. "But." He said. "They did not understand something crucial, something very basic about Naruto. He is not the sort to hold grudges. The pain he has suffered, rather than embittering him, has taught him empathy, and to care about other's suffering. It showed even with a creature so small as a rabbit he frightened unintentionally. I doubt that one person in a hundred could have survived what he went through with his soul intact- But what the intentional abuse from the village could not do, the accidental killing of his only friend did."

"Naruto is consumed with guilt over Iruka's death, and the greatest tragedy of it is that he isn't really the one to blame. The village elders who ordered the assassination were the ones at fault. More than anything, Naruto needs some sort of affirmation for himself that he is not a monster. Because if his faith in himself is ever broken completely, he could give up and become one for real."

"And this," Kakashi said, "is where we come to the second reason not to kill him. Tazuna, when you first confessed your lie of omission to us, do you remember what his response was?"

Tazuna rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "He said that even if everyone else left, he would stay and protect me... because I had a family who needed me."

Kakashi nodded. "I believe that this mission can heal his wounded soul, or at the very least, begin the healing process." He said. "With everything that has happened to him, he retains a basic decency that shines bright in the all but unbroken darkness that has been his life so far. Given all that he has been through, and all that he still strives to be, don't you think he deserves our support, our own belief in him?"

The room was silent for a few moments, before Kakashi finished, "Because I do. He's a much better person than I could hope to be."

--

Naruto waited for the lights to go out before he opened his eyes. Kakashi's speech had been inspiring- but Naruto knew better. They were a team, but they were a specifically assembled team. Shikamaru didn't much care for him, Sasuke hated his guts and had suggested Naruto be killed, and Kakashi was perhaps the second or third most powerful ninja in Konoha. Naruto understood the implications in this, and supposed he should be grateful for the "second chance" that Kakashi was encouraging the others to give him... But Naruto understood the implication of who he'd been teamed with. No, he didn't dare let his guard down around them- after Sasuke's suggestion that it would be better if he didn't wake up, better if they made SURE he didn't wake up, Naruto understood. Sasuke, at the first excuse, would kill him- and likely Shikamaru would help. Kakashi too, if he didn't see the start of the fight- hadn't he said the Mangekyou makes the user unstable?

_And... what if they end up having good reason to? Will I just up and... lose it one of these days?_ Naruto asked himself. _Will they sometime soon have to put me down like a rabid dog?_

**LIKE A DOG? **Sniffed Kyuubii disdainfully.** HARDLY. AND EVEN A RABID FOX RETAINS HIS CUNNING. BESIDES, YOU DO NOT NEED THEM- IF ANYTHING, THEY NEED YOU.**

_But... I'm always so alone..._

The mental voice seemed almost comforting in its tone. **AS LONG AS YOU HAVE ME, YOU SHALL NEVER BE ALONE. MY LIFE IS TIED TO YOURS- THUS, I ALONE CAN NEVER BETRAY YOU. **

Giving no immediate response, Naruto sighed, fingering the scar on the lower left side of his chest.

Trust... brings pain.

--

By the next morning, Naruto was up and about already.

"A week?" Said Shikamaru. "He wasn't even down a full day. What gives?"

"Naruto's powers of recuperation are nothing, if not astonishing. He's nothing if not resilient, and he has a great deal of chakra. But I suppose that means that we can get to your training all the faster." Kakashi motioned them all forward, his manner business-like. "All right, you three. It's time for you to learn to control your chakra."

"But we already know that!" Naruto complained. "We've been doing that since the academy."

"Naruto's right." Sasuke said, drawing a look fo surprise from the blond. "That's all pretty basic."

"Well, while I'll concede that your chakra control IS rather basic, there are depths to chakra control that none of you have thus far touched. To a degree, you have all learned to harness your chakra, at least somewhat, but your control and efficiency is lacking. Learning to control your chakra precisely will improve your abilities in almost every way."

"Ok, so... How are we gonna do that?" Asked Naruto, scratching his head.

--

There was an awkward moment of silence after the answer was given. Then Gato said, "Tazuna is still alive? You failed again?" Gato shook his cane in anger. "That's TWICE you've dropped the ball on this one! What am I paying you for if not to deal with this rabble?!"

"I wouldn't call it a failure." Said Zabuza nonchalantly. "Not even a setback. I escaped unharmed after tangling with one of the most formidable Kekkei Genkai in all of Konoha."

Zabuza propped his feet up on the table with a smirk visible even through the bandages that masked his face. "In fact, as a scouting mission, I'd say it was a resounding success. I not only confirmed exactly who I was up against- Kakashi of the Sharingan Eye, also known as the Mirror Ninja, if you care- But also learned vital information about his cadre of genin talent, at least two of which are also Sharingan Users. I gathered a good bit of information on their combat prowess- which is not inconsiderable. And," Zabuza finished with a self satisfied flourish, "I've already formulated a plan by which I can take out him and his pet students- maybe even capturing one of them and keeping him for my own army, as a soldier or... Material benefit by which I might take their talents for my own." He picked a slice of apple off the table and slipped it between the bandages covering his mouth, chewing with evident satisfaction. "So relax."

Gato seemed to waver on the cusp of anger and apprehension. "It sounds to ME like you're trying to put a good face on having had to run away!" He countered.

Gato took several steps forward as he spoke, and he attempted to poke his cane into the reclining nuke-nin's chest, but his cane halted its progress as a grip of steel encased his wrist with crushing force. "You will NOT defile Lord Zabuza with your touch!" Said the androgynous youth who had until now stayed largely in the background.

Gato's ronin bodyguards' hands flew to their weapons; their motions reflected years of dedication to the art of iaijutsu. Yet their raised hands, at the finish of their strikes, were empty. Between them the boy stood, swords crossed in front of his with the tip of each blade rested just beneath the swell of their adam's apples.

The boy favored the room with a cold smile. "I think," he began, "That you should be glad that I am in a good mood. You wouldn't want to do something like that when I'm angry."

Gato trembled, although whether from fear or anger seemed uncertain. _Most likely both,_ Zabuza thought to himself.

"I expect your next 'foray' to be the end of this!" Gato said forcefully as he and his rattled henchmen left. "Don't think you can come back here otherwise!"

Haku turned to face Zabuza. "So is it true, sir? You already have a plan?"

Zabuza nodded. "Oh, yes. A plan that will help you to evade the effects of the Sharingan when we face them next. Because when your eyes fail you, you fall back on your ears... and for users of the Sharingan, their eyes fail them so rarely that they are lost without them. Come, Haku- we have some training to do."

--

"You call that training? What kind of training is patrolling a bridge?" Demanded Naruto. "I don't see how that will make us control our chakra better."

Kakashi sighed in exasperation. "Must you complain about everything before it's been explained?" He asked. "Listen up. You won't be merely walking back and forth. But I suppose I'd better explain it through demonstration."

With that, Kakashi took a moment to focus himself, then stepped calmly over the side of the bridge.

--

"That is way cool." Naruto said breathlessly, as the three genin looked over the edge to see their teacher calmly standing horizontally on the side of the bridge.

"Looks like an awful lot of work." Shikamaru grumbled.

Sasuke said nothing, watching carefully.

Kakashi turned to face them. "This exeercise fills two purposes. First, it will teach you to control your chakra with extreme precision. Clinging to the surface of the bridge is a delicate balancing act: too little chakra and you cannot stick to the surface of the bridge, but too much and the surface of the bridge itself pushes you away. What's more, the soles of your feet are the hardest portion of your body to emit and control chakra from. If you can master this skill, no jutsu should ever be beyond your grasp. In theory, at any rate."

"The second purpose, however, is that you will learn to expand your awareness, even in the midst of the most trying of circumstances and the most delicate concentration. At any given time, while the two of you are on either side of the bridge, the third will attempt to sneak past you to reach Tazuna's side."

"But how's that part a challenge?" Asked Sasuke. "As soon as they set foot on the bridge..."

"You'll have to rely on something other than your eyes." Said Kakashi. "I will be using Kirigakure to surround the sides of the bridge with fog. You will be training to find- and fight- an enemy you cannot see. Unfortunately, this will neutralize all of your greatest strengths- Shikamaru, you'll have no shadows to work with because the light will be too difuse. Naruto, Sasuke, your Sharingan depend on being able to see your opponent. Even so, this is not as great a handicap as you may think."

"Uh... Kakashi-sensei?" Narauto asked.

"Hmm?"

"Umm... What about the Byakugan?" Naruto asked. "Would that see through the mist?"

"Yeah. It'd be great if we had Neji along." Sasuke said.

Kakashi, however, favored Naruto with a strange look. "Naruto... Are you saying what I think you are saying?"

Naruto looked indecisive, for a moment, before sighing. "Uh..." He made a pair of seals, before the storm gray of his eyes washed out a little paler, and veins popped out around his eyes. "I... haven't figured out a way to use the Byakugan and the Sharingan at the same time, though."

"Until now, it was considered impossible to even have both." Kakashi said thoughtfully. "The idea of attempting to breed the Hyuuga and Uchiha clans together has been tried in the past, and in any that both traits manifested they invariably died when the second trait came forth- if it came forth at all. The medic nins researching it learned that the chakra pathways for both dojutsus activating at the same time burned out the victim's brains in a matter of hours, even if not activated." _Although I suspect it is your incredible healing ability granted you by the Kyuubii,_ Kakashi thought to himself. _Any damage that accrues from these pathways is healed almost as soon as it occurs... which is also probably the reason your Mangekyou hasn't already made you blind, at the rate you've been using it._

There were a few moments of silence, before Naruto finally broke it. "Well? Would the Byakugan work?"

"Without the Sharingan, it would only be academic." Kakashi replied. "The only reason you were able to fight Zabuza on the level you did before was with the help of the Sharingan; even if you could see him in the mist, without the ability to predict his actions you would be fairly vulnerable. So for now, we do this my way. Train without the Byakugan before you try to use it."

Kakashi nodded towards thye side of the bridge. "If you feel yourself start to slip, push away from the bridge so you land cleanly in the water- It will sting a bit if you tumble down the side of the support in the process. I don't expect any of you to be able to hold onto the side reliably at first, but as you practice you will improve."

The three genin focussed their chakra into their feet as they'd seen Kakashi do. Then, together, the carefully stepped over the side. Two of them immediately fell forty feet into the water below.

"This isn't so hard." Shikamaru said, looking down at his two team mates splashing around in the river below.

--

End chapter Four

-AN: Well, that is that. Chapter four is up and running- but nobody is leaving any reviews. Does anybody care enough for me to continue the story? If not, let me know so I can invest my time in something a little more meaningful in my life- I like the story idea but if it's boring you then I can spend more time painting my models or something.

...

Sorry about that- been having a rough week so far.

I already know some of the complaints that are going to come at me- Naruto's able to drive off Zabuza, wtf is he doing falling off the bridge during the climbing exercise? Well, the answer to this is finesse and precision. Naruto has virtually none. He has power in abundance but it isn't well focused- much like Zabuza points out, his training is lacking. Even so, this exercise is more taxing than the one from the manga or anime- mostly because the three participants have a higher level of ability than in the canon. It isn't explicitly spelled out, but this mission occurs a few weeks later than the original, mostly because Tazuna was actually made to wait for the team- there is a reason behind this, but you won't know why until chapter 7 or so. Maybe later, depending on the way the dice land, as it doesn't come to light until after the finish of this mission.

In response to the questions from above, ok, no finesse, how does he drive off Zabuza in the first place? Naruto began the fight watching Kakashi use the Sharingan eye- and it taught Naruto a lot about how to lead an opponent into what you want them to do. Naruto also has a rough idea of how to walk on water, but his precision isn't refined enough to do it, yet- but once he masters the climbing exercise you can bet he's going to try it next.

That's about all I can really think of at the moment, but any questions or errors on my part, let me know. Til next time.

-AXENOME


	6. Chapter Five: These Little Talks

Naruto: Rogue Fox

( ) Denotes memory. Not quite as involved as a full flashback, usually just memory of spoken words.

Special Note: Made some small revisions to the chapter, smoothed out some dialogue, corrected spelling errors.  
Second revision: Added a good deal to the AN below in response to some issues brought up by one of my readers. Hope it helps clarify my thinking and sub story a little.

Previously: Naruto's exhaustion and Sasuke's misgivings prompt a discussion on the nature of the Sharingan, as well as the nature of Naruto's pain. Yet for all Kakashi's determination to assist Naruto in coming out of his shell, Naruto, shamming sleep, swears to trust none of them- not even fully himself. When their training schedule is announced, after some outbursts on Naruto's part the three konoha genin take their first gravity defying steps- while only one of them continues defying gravity on his second. Meanwhile, Zabuza begins his own training regimen with Haku to prepare the boy for their future confrontation with the deadly Sharingan Eye...

Chapter Five: These Little Chats

Within two days, Naruto and Sasuke had managed to make a full patrol around the side of the bridge without falling off. The hardest part of the exercise, of course, was catching the others as they patrolled. Dividing their attention between maintaining the delicate balance of chakra flow, and their senses in the fog surrounding them, proved to be too much whenever Shikamaru went for Tazuna. He always planned ten to twenty steps ahead of anything Naruto and Sasuke could come up with, and only Kakashi's constant pressure on them kept the two trying at all. And while they never did successfully intercept Shikamaru, both Naruto and Sasuke improved drastically in their usage of teamwork and tactics.

Kakashi also noticed that Naruto drew slightly on the chakra of the Kyuubii fairly consistently. The chakra he drew helped revitalize the boy's energy- over the long term, according to the Sandaime Hokage, this event could prove damaging to the blond genin. Except... The Sandaime had mentioned temporary effects that would manifest themselves early, signs of impending permanent damage that would indicate the Kitsune was taking Naruto's mind and soul over- signs that were, as of now, completely absent in Naruto.

_Jinchuuriki,_ Kakashi mused. _That's what the Sandaime called him. A person in whom one of the Biijuu had been sealed, a technique created back during the Shinobi wars. But they had proven too unruly to be controlled by a mere mortal, constantly trying to break free, or to exert some kind of control over the host... But now..._

_Has Naruto done what no other could in recorded history? Has he somehow found a way to control one of the Biiju?_

--

Three nights later, long after Shikamaru, Tazuna, and Kakashi had returned home, Naruto and Sasuke finally dragged themselves in the door. Actually, to be more accurate, Naruto staggered in with Sasuke half draped over his shoulder, the latter barely succeeding in placing one foot in front of the other. From the looks of things, the only thing keeping them on their feet was the fact that neither boy could quite agree on what direction to fall.

Not content with their daily patrols, after the others would leave, the two had taken to training themselves, had driven one another to the edge of exhaustion. They sparred on top of the bridge, on its sides, even underneath and along the supports. By the end of their session tonight, the two had even puzzled out how to run along the surface of the water. Naruto's incredible strength and stamina were evenly matched against Sasuke's superior skill and ever improving mastery over the Sharingan. And even now, both were getting stronger and faster.

_Sasuke is getting very good, _thought Kakashi to himself. _Having trained with and against two of the strongest genin in Konoha, he's becoming a force to be reckoned with. And Naruto! The sheer power at that boy's disposal is awe inspiring. And if he doesn't have the majority of the Forbidden Scroll commited to memory or learned, I'll eat my hitai ate. Yet he's so cagey about revealing the breadth of his knowledge- is he afraid of the reaction he'll receive from the rest of the village?_

Kakashi watched as Sasuke and Naruto collapsed onto the mats in front of the dinner table, then, sharing a tired grin with one another, they each grabbed a bowl of rice.

This scene of comeraderie was interrupted by Tsunami's little boy- Inari, was his name?- who spoke for the first time since they'd arrived. "Why push yourselves so hard? You're just gonna die tired when Gato's men catch up to you."

Naruto and Sasuke both paused in their eating, chopsticks halfway to their mouths. "Huh?" Said Naruto.

"Gato is too strong. People like that, they can't be beaten no matter how strong you are. If you fight him, you're just gonna die."

Shikamaru was leaning back against a pillow with an arm thrown over his face. This didn't stop him from responding. "This has something to do with that picture on the wall, the one that's missing somebody in it, right?" Shikamaru pointed in the direction of the picture. "The person who's missing- Gato did something to him, right? Or someone just like him?"

Inari's eyes filled with tears and he dashed from the room.

Tazuna sighed. "His name was Kaiza." Answered Tazuna. "He was a hero and a brave, a GOOD man. He was like a father to Inari. Some bullies threw Inari's brand new puppy into the river- and then shoved Inari in after him. Kaiza saved Inari from drowning- and later, he would save the entire village as well when the river overflowed its banks in a heavy storm. He was an ordinary man, but was filled with an extraordinary spirit. A real hero."

"So what happened to him?" Sasuke asked.

Tazuna sighed again, noting how Tsunami paled as she stood up and excused herself. He waited until she had left the room before continuing. "Gato... dismembered him... and then crucified him as a public execution... supposedly it was for crimes against his company... but the real reason was to break the spirit of this land. To show that even the greatest hero in the village was no match for Gato's money. That any of them could expect the same for stepping out of line. And while everyone in the village was forced to watch- Inari was forced to be there in the very front- Gato's henchmen cut Kaiza's throat."

Tazuna shot a glance in the direction of the hallway. "Ever since then, Inari has been... changed. He has lost all hope, lost his belief in good men and their ability to change what is wrong into something that is right."

Naruto stood up. "Then I'll change him back."

The others looked at Naruto in puzzlement.

"I'll show Inari that Gato is no different than the bullies who picked on him and his dog!" Naruto said with a grin. "And I'll show Gato the same! They'll both see! They'll see there's real heros in the world still!"

Kakashi recognized the look in his eye- a more intense version of the fire that lit his will to stay out later and train. "Naruto, you're exhausted and your chakra is spent. You could die from overwork if you keep up like this. I think you should rest."

Naruto paused on his way to the door. "Kakashi Sensei, what's better: Live with something that's wrong or die for something that's right?" He threw over his shoulder as he walked out.

"Hey, dobe! Get back here!" Shouted Sasuke angrily. "You wanna die?" He staggered to his feet, but they wouldn't support him, and he looked helplessly at Kakashi.

_Frustrating little bakayarou!_ Kakashi fumed. Out loud, he called out, "You die now and it won't be for what's right, it'll be for your own ego and pride!"

But Naruto was already gone.

--

The sun was barely risen, still resting low on the horizon, and casting its rays out over the forest floor. The air was moist, still, and cool, the silence broken only by the occasional birdsong.

Haku broke a pristine stem from the largest and healthiest of the bed of silverleaf. Its leaves were whole and uniformly green; it was an excellent bit of herb.

Mornings were Haku's favorite time of day. Rested and at peace, Haku felt a pure joy in his task, uninterrupted by prejudice or conflict. He smiled softly as a bird lit on his shoulder, chirped questioningly, then flew off some distance. He paused in his task, watching the bird, and the smile faded from his face as he saw the bird land again on... a body?

He stood up slowly, looking over the form- asleep, not dead. Suddenly his eyes flew to the hitai ate headband on the boy's forehead, and recognition struck him.

("And when you leave, don't bother to come back. Next time I see you, I'll kill you. Your head would make a great peace offering coming from the future Hokage to the Mizukage.")

_It's him!_ Thought Haku to himself. _The one who was strong enough to fight Zabuza Sama to a standstill. And he's not much more than my age... still just a student. Zabuza Sama believes he could be stronger than Kakashi San, perhaps even stronger than himself. I should... I should probably kill him. Now, while I have the chance... before he can kill Zabuza Sama..._

Haku approached closer, watching the boy sleep. Then, slowly, hesitantly, he reached out...

--

"Naruto stayed out all night again, didn't he?" Tazuna asked.

Sasuke nodded, the concern apparent on his face. "He's been training every night since you told us about Kaiza."

"By himself?" Tazuna responded.

"No... Not alone." Sasuke said. "We've been taking turns, going out there with him."

"You two, you mean." Kakashi said, directing a look over at Shikamaru, who was propped against the wall, his cheek pressed upwards against it, a trail of drool beginning its way down to his chin. "Shikamaru. Wipe your mouth."

Shikamaru woke with a small start, peered around the room owlishly, then proceeded to wipe his chin against his sleeve. "Ugh. What a mess."

"I can understand Sasuke, but why you, Shikamaru?" Kakashi asked. "I thought you wanted to take it easy. Why are you working so hard with Naruto?"

Shikamaru was quiet for a few seconds. Finally, looking uncomfortable, he said, "I guess, because... watching him work, well, he gives everything he's got, every time, all the time. He makes me want to make myself better, just so he doesn't leave me behind, just so I can stay and hang on with him, for a little while longer..."

Kakashi's visible eye showed a glint of humor. "Yes... He does grow on you, doesn't he?" He asked thoughfully.

Sasuke snorted. "Yeah... does anybody know a surgeon? I need him removed."

"You're not fooling anyone, you know." Tsunami said from the kitchen. "You like him more than any of the others. But I wish you'd bring him back when he falls asleep. It's not good for a boy to sleep night after night alone outside! Why don't you bring him back with you?"

Shikamaru and Sasuke laughed a tense little laugh at that. "Well, two reasons." Sasuke said. "First off, usually it's him bringing our sleeping bodies back here before he goes out again."

Tazuna looked impressed. "I should ask him if he'd like to help with the bridge..." He said with a chuckle.

"And the second reason?" Asked Tsunami.

"Well, it's not really a good idea to sneak up on him in his sleep..." Said Sasuke.

"He wakes up with a kunai in his hand." Said Shikamaru. "He almost took my nose off last time I tried."

--

Naruto felt a hand on his shoulder. Not even awake, he seized it, hooking a leg behind his assailant's back while twisting the hand up in front and around to behin his opponent's head, binding the arm and twisting the body into a position of defenselessness. His kunai halted a fraction of an inch from flesh as his eyes focused on... a young girl in a kimono? Alarm flashed across her face as she gave a small squeak of fear.

"I-I'm sorry!" She said. "I just- I was concerned... You'll catch your death of cold out here sleeping on the ground! I didn't mean anything-"

"Umm..." Naruto's brain was having trouble functioning from the strange situation. "I'm sorry, do I know you?"

--

"Have we picked enough of those herbs you wanted?"

The two of them knelt together on the ground, selecting the best of the plants Haku had pointed out. "Um," Naruto began sheepishly, "I'm uh, sorry I scared you earlier."

Haku smiled. _He's really a very sweet boy._ He thought to himself. "You didn't have to help me. You didn't mean to scare me, I know that."

Naruto chuckled ruefully. "Um, still, you took on some job, trying to gather all this stuff by yourself at this hour of the morning. Coming out here to harvest all that, and this early? When do you have time to sleep?"

"Early? Look who's talking!" Haku said with a more heartfelt laugh than he would have expected himself to give. "What were you doing out here in the middle of nowhere at the crack of dawn?"

"..." Naruto didn't answer immediately, a serious look on his face. Finally he said, "Training to become stronger."

Haku adopted a look of surprise. "Really? That headband you're wearing- are you some kind of Ninja?"

Naruto's eyes gained a little bit of excitement, something boyish and eager that reached out and tugged at Haku's heartstrings. It was a look that bespoke loneliness past and even to a degree, still present. The look was quickly hidden, as Naruto tilted his head to the side and said, "I'm a Konoha genin."

Haku smiled his sunniest smile. "What are you training for?" He asked.

"To get stronger, of course!" Naruto said with some surprise. "What other reason could there be?"

Haku replied, "But... but you already look so strong and manly!" And it was true, Haku realized, not just flattery. Naruto was certainly in his early teens, by Haku's guess, but he carried himself confidently and with a distinctly adult attitude. His hands and neck were really the only skin visible on him, but they displayed no baby fat, only smooth and toned muscle and tendon beneath the skin.

Naruto shook his head sadly. "I'm... not strong enough yet."

Haku looked at him silently for a moment. "For what?"

Naruto opened his mouth to speak, then stopped, a look of confusion on his face. "I... Well, I... used to want to be Hokage."

"Used to?" Haku pressed.

Naruto looked up, incredulity and relief mixed on his face. "Where I grew up, I was... hated. Despised, for... something inside of me."

Haku's heart froze in his chest. _This boy-he's like me?_

"All the people in my home town treated me like dirt." Naruto continued, looking out towards the early morning sun, now fully above the horizon by about an hour. Before long, Tazuna would be going back to work on the bridge. "I wanted to become Hokage, strongest ninja in the village. I believed if I worked hard enough, got better than anyone else, that they would accept me... that they would have to accept me, even if I didn't have parents. But..."

Haku had difficulty getting his breath. _Is he... an orphan too? _Out loud, Haku managed to ask, "So... you gave up your dream to become Hokage?"

"It was the dream... of a child." Naruto replied. "And I understand some thing I didn't before. Of what they fear, what's inside of me. And I understand that there are things more important than what the villagers think of me. That contracts and payment are all well and good but there are people who need help. And the few who dare, ask only if they have the money to pay. A rich woman with a runaway cat would get help before a poor one wrongly accused of theft. And I... I can't accept that."

Haku's heart leapt into his throat. Too much at one time... In a voice slightly strained, he asked, "So... what will you do?"

"I think it's time for me to forge my own path." Naruto responded slowly. "My own way of the ninja. For now, I'm gonna finish what I started here. I have a point to prove to... someone I know. But afterwards?" Naruto looked up at the sky. "Afterwards, well- I guess I'll become stronger. Cause the Hokage is supposed to protect the village. And even if they never make me Hokage... I still... have to protect them. Even if I never become Hokage in name, I can still be Hokage in spirit."

Haku nodded, gaining control over his responses again. "Are you doing this for them, or just your own satisfaction?"

Naruto thought about Ichiraku, and his daughter Ayame. He thought about Hokage Oyaji, and the other genin, especially team seven. He didn't fully trust them... but still, he found he liked them. Some of them a little, barely enough to be worth the aggravation, like Sasuke. Some of them, like Ayame and her father, quite a lot- they'd always been kind to him. But even if he couldn't trust them, he still wanted them to be happy. To be safe.

"I think.. because I like them." He finally answered.

Haku's smile faltered as the weight of the reality crashed down on him. Tomorrow, he and Zabuza were supposed to strike. Tomorrow, Tazuna must die. And Naruto, along with his team, would likely die along with him- possibly at Haku's own hand. It just wasn't fair. Only by thinking of Zabuza sama could Haku steel himself for what is to come. "They say... When working to defend someone special, people become as strong as they need to be."

Naruto nodded. "I've heard that before." He replied, thinking of Tazuna's story.

Haku bound the last of the herbs together before putting them into his basket. "I know you will get stronger. And we will meet again, I'm sure of it!" He said with false cheer.

Naruto gave a genuine smile. "Great!"

"So, I think you should know..." Haku continued, "That I'm really a boy."

Haku walked off, leaving Naruto standing with his jaw hanging open.

--

Sasuke watched naruto gape after the strange girl walking away as he approached. There was something odd about her, but he just couldn't place it. As he continued walking up to Naruto, something clicked in his head. Her elbows weren't right.

"Kuso!" Sasuke said out loud. "That was a boy!"

Naruto looked over at him in some surprise that Sasuke had spotted it. "I know- weird, huh?"

Sasuke looked faintly disturbed at this. "Um... whatever... we need to get back to the bridge, dobe." Sasuke pulled out a covered container. "Here's some breakfast. You can eat it on the way."

--

Naruto and Sasuke got home late again that night. Both of them looked dirty and exhausted, Naruto moreso than ever. "Kakashi sensei!" He said with a loggy grin. "We did it!"

"You did it, you baka." Sasuke said with a snort. "How could I have done it?"

"Done what?" Asked Tazuna.

"Hey, you're the one who figured out how I should do it!" Naruto shot back at Sasuke, ignoring Tazuna's question. "I just followed your advice! Besides," He said with a grin. "I'm not the only one who had a breakthrough. Tell him, Sasuke teme."

"Slow down. What are you talking about?" Kakashi asked.

"Naruto can use Byakugan and Sharingan at the same time!" Sasuke said proudly. Though it was carefully hidden, Kakashi could see both admiration, and even a little affection.

"And Sasuke used Sharingan to copy my Kage Bunshin!" Naruto added with excitement.

Inari was watching them both with mounting anger. Finally, it burst out. "Why do you bother?! What good does it do you to stay here? You'll never beat Gato and his men, they're too strong!"

Naruto scowled at the boy, causing fresh alarm to spring out on Sasuke's and Kakashi's faces. "So just cause he scares you, you think he scares me?" Naruto demanded. "Why should I be a chicken like you?"

"What do you know about fear?" Shouted Inari back, crying. "You with your tough ninja act, always smiling and goofing around! What do you know about suffering, about what my life has been like?"

Kakashi, Sasuke, and Shikamaru had the exact same thought at the exact same time. _Oh, shit._

"You think it's better to make everyone around you listen to you whine?" Naruto shouted back, thankfully keeping the confrontation on a verbal level, much to his team mates' relief. "Don't you ever get tired of crying like a little baby? If you're SO SURE he can't be beaten, then why has he failed to kill him-" Naruto pointed at Tazuna, "-twice now? And as long as I'm around, Gato's gonna KEEP failing, because unlike you, I keep making myself better instead of treating everyone around me like a guest at your pity party!"

Inari ran from the house sobbing, as Naruto looked after him with an expression of anger, apology, and hurt all mixed together. Finally, he unclenched his fists and went to the hallway. "I'm... gonna get a bath and go to sleep. Sorry for making all the noise." Naruto said, not meeting anyone's eyes.

Sasuke looked after Naruto, feeling uncertain and helpless. "Naruto... no baka..."

Kakashi stood up and followed Inari outside.

--

Inari sat on the edge of the wooden slats, his feet hanging just above the water's edge. The night air held only a trace of the day's warmth, and the crescent moon sent sparkles of light across the surface of the river. Normally, Inari could find some peace here, but tonight the tears just continued to flow.

"Mind if I join you?"

Inari looked up to see Kakashi sensei standing there behind him.

Kakashi took a seat on the dock next to him, and for the next ten minutes neither of them said anything. Finally, Kakashi broke the silence. "You know, Naruto is one of the most gifted and powerful kids I've ever encountered, but when it comes to people, he's as clueless as they get. He didn't mean to be cruel or to hurt you, he just... lacks finesse."

"..."

Kakashi waited a few more seconds before he continued. "It's not really his fault. Your grandfather told us about your father, Kaiza. I just thought you should know that Naruto grew up without a father, same as you."

Kakashi gave a short pause. "Without any parents, actually. He doesn't remember either one of them. His whole life is one big painful memory."

Inari looked shocked. "R-really?"

"The only person he really trusted in the whole village was a teacher... someone he fought for, and killed for, to protect. And that teacher... died a few weeks ago. Yet in the entire time I've known him, I've never seen him cry, or use his troubles as an excuse to sulk or be a coward. Not once. He only tries his hardest, gives his all, to do what he believes is right, and hoping that someone will notice and give him a kind word or a pat on the back. He's willing to give his all to work until the village accepts him- it's his dream, and he's fought and risked his life for it. I think... I think that one day he must have gotten fed up with crying."

Inari's tears had dried as he listened to Kakashi's words. The jonin continued. "He knows what it means to fight for what he believes in, and what it means to be strong. He knows what it's worth, and he knows what it costs... Just like your father, Kaiza, did. In fact, Naruto understands what you feel and what you've been through better than any of us."

"What?!" Said Inari, stunned.

"He can't leave you alone." Kakashi said with a smile visible even under his mask. "He wants to prove to you that there are things you can still believe in... because you've gotten under his skin."

Inari found himself completely without words. And, for the first time in a long time, he found himself feeling something other than sadness and fear.

He felt hope.

End Chapter Five

-AN: That's that. This chapter was a lot easier for me to write, somehow- I found myself able to see the scenes clearly. Doesn't always work that way for me, but every once in a while I manage it, and I tend to like the way they turn out when it happens. And usually, this also means that I can get two chapters out on consecutive days.

My wife likes to say that I write like a river flows- messily, fast, and with no concern for people's supposed wishes in the meanwhile. I think she's complimenting me... ,

On the topic of Sasuke's seeming 180 degree change in attitude about Naruto:

This isn't quite so sudden as it seems from the storyline. There have been a number of differences in this storyline from canon- the first being that Sasuke's first team included Rock Lee and Neji. Naji especially has had a rough life- and being teamed together for the better part of two months allows the two of them enough time to mellow each other out a bit. They've both had family problems, resentment towards family members in particular- Neji's resentment towards his uncle and Sasuke's towards his brother. People with adversity can help one another through resentments and come to terms with the issues festering in their heads. Second, this Naruto is NOT the goofing clown that so completely aggravates Sasuke on a constant basis. This Naruto is more sober, somewhat more mature. He doesn't smile as often, so when he does it has more meaning. He doesn't hide his hurt behind a grin- in fact, he doesn't really try to hide it at all. He has more in common with Sasuke, and now that Sasuke has had a chance to settle into being a genin before meeting him, his first rivalry isn't with someone who is a complete nobody that passes him up, his first rivalry is with someone whose bloodline is at least as distinguished as his own- and they respect one another.

Another aspect of Sasuke is that he hates being pursued- in a lot of respects, he's like a cat. Chase after him, he'll avoid you- as evidence, his reaction to the fangirls, Sakura especially. Seem indifferent to him or push him away, and he'll gravitate towards you- he seeks out Orochimaru after the snake sannin beats his ass, and then bites him. This version of Naruto isn't constantly vying for his acceptance, isn't trying to prove himself his equal. This Naruto tends to keep people at arms distance- and Sasuke, the contrary little prick he is, can't help but push at him for a reaction, trying to get a little closer, if only to satisfy his curiosity about what makes Naruto tick.

The biggest effect, however, is from the jonin Kakashi. According to canon, the chunin exam selects for the strongest, but more importantly, the leaders of the ninja genin. People with traits that show tactical thinking. By the time one becomes a jonin, it stands to reason that the cream of the crop for leadership and teaching ability are selected. The Kakashi of canon is a TERRIBLE leader.

Alright, lemme explain my reasoning behind this. In canon, Kakashi's first exercise with them is the bells. It's an exercise that specifically attempts to divide the team into its individual components, preventing what it is supposed to require in order to succeed. Considering that the majority of genin graduates are twelve years old, that's a little bit subtle a distinction for a preteen to make, don't you think? Certainly, Kakashi's justification kind of makes sense in a hindsight fashion, but the problem is his future exercises aren't much different. Treeclimbing: Take a kunai, climb as high as you can go, mark where you get to. All of you practice on a neighboring tree. Trouble is, this sets up a competition between the three of them- and drives a little wedge between the team members in the process of their competition, as anyone with the force of will and drive to become a ninja at such a young age is going to have a great deal of pride to flick. Sakura herself even expresses a fear of this when she succeeds where the boys do not- and as a twelve year old girl, being more observant to human reaction than a jonin? Logically, this doesn't make much sense. A lot of the situations the genin find themselves in, they are acting as individuals. And Kakashi isn't doing much to fix this.

Once is a statistical anomaly, twice begins to form a pattern. And obviously by other things mentioned in the manga, after the Tazuna escort mission, Kakashi notes at the end of another undescribed mission that their teamwork is getting worse. Judging by previous actions on Kakashi's part- the training methods not being fully thought out in a teamwork context, the "Stay back and let me handle this- that's the teamwork required for this mission"- all I can really say is, Duh! And feel the desire to smack Kakashi on the nose with a rolled up newspaper and say, "Dammit- do your job! These are soldiers under your command, so train them to be soldiers and work as a unit, not as heros who go off half baked and screw up the mission plan." Rather than attempt to work with the Kakashi I'm given, I've added a little bit of common sense and, like much of Konoha's politics, tried to subtly make them more sensible. And I think the difference is light in its application but profound in its effects.

The exercise I've outlined for the genin is more demanding than the original- in part because the genin are more advanced, but also because it trains them on more than one level. One of them attempts to get to Tazuna's side while the other two patrol to prevent it. Get them accustomed to times when they'll have to work alone AND times when they'll have to work together. Teach them that the defender in a scenario typically controls the scene of an engagement but the attacker controls the timeframe. Teach them to multitask. AND teach them chakra control. THAT is the kind of subtle teaching that a jonin- a REAL jonin- would come up with, even after losing face to the first opponent they come across. And in the process give them training in a skill they'll need to deal with that opponent, in this case, the ability to locate a foe they can't immediately see.

Finally, back to Sasuke- where this whole thing began. It's demonstrated that Sasuke is not stupid. He can plan ahead. And he can accept that first appearances can be deceiving. So when he has a more full grasp on the circumstances he's in, trains on a constant basis with Naruto for about a week straight, comes to respect his ability to think and fight, and the two of them help each other to grow- it becomes impossible for someone to maintain a hatred or even a dislike of someone in that sort of situation. Basic human psychology- in Vietnam soldiers recounted tales of hardcore, card carrying members of the KKK becoming blood brothers with black men in their unit- people whom they trained with and ate with and slept side by side with in barracks and field. Because regardless of a person's preconceptions, even the most hard core bigot and/or racist will still come to appreciate the reality of the person underneath once they get to know them, and judge them based on the person rather than the skin. And, despite Naruto's hurting and trust issues, underneath it all he remains a good person.

I don't know that I have a great deal more to add in this section- someone asked me if Naruto has the Kurama clan bloodline as well. The truth of the matter, is I had considered it... but it struck me as just not being appropriate. The effectiveness of Genjutsu seems to always lie in the subtlety and precision with which it is crafted, and the words "Naruto" and "Subtlety" somehow just don't work for me in the same sentence. Or "Kyuubii" and "Subtlety," for that matter. Naruto- and Kyuubii- both are very forceful, overwhelming sorts. Naruto is still early in his genin career, and while he is learning to be very crafty, he tends towards misdirection while applying overwhelming force from an unexpected angle, not tripping up his opponents on precisely calculated threads. So the Genjutsu heritage of the Kurama clan just doesn't strike me as the sort of thing Naruto would be interested in learning before all the more flashy and powerful things on the scroll. And I recognize that Naruto hasn't used a great deal of what's on the scroll, but this version tends to play things close to the vest- mostly because of Kyuubii's occasional whispers in his ear.

I've also tried to imply that a lot of damage inflicted on a jinchuuriki host from biijuu chakra is because under most circumstances, the biijuu imprisoned within them is at least resentful of their host, if not downright hostile. A cooperative biijuu will do much less harm, mostly because as beings of pure chakra, they will have a level of understanding of their own chakra that exceeds the capacity of mere mortals to comprehend- even if they could not really teach the skills to their host. After all, I imagine it would be a difficult chore for a goldfish trying to teach a human how to swim.

That about covers everything I can think of. Message me with your questions or post them in the reviews, either way- I'll respond to both as best I can. If I miss someone, it's not because I don't like you- it's only that I have the attention span of a grapefruit spoon in a toaster. I only have two scenes left that popped into my head and interrupted my typo-ing I mean typing, so I felt compelled to share them with you all. The first one is a fairly common contemporary reference- the second one, however, is a rather subtle dig at an old and extremely good graphic novel series. If you recognize it, congrats- if not, I'll just post a note of its name at the end of chapter six if nobody else does first in the reviews section.

Last, but not least, the previously mentioned Omake:

**Omake for chapter five:**

The sun was barely risen, still resting low on the horizon, and casting its rays out over the forest floor. The air was moist, still, and cool, the silence broken only by the occasional bridsong.

Haku espied the patch of silverleaf, and knelt down to gather it.

GATHER ATTEMPT FAILED.

Haku sighed, and tried again.

GATHER ATTEMPT FAILED.

Haku changed his gloves to something more dextrous, and tried again.

GATHER ATTEMPT FAILED.

Haku growled angrily and threw the mouse across the room. _I knew I should have rolled a Tauren for my herbalist alt,_ he thought to himself.

End Omake

**Omake 2 for Chapter Five**

Mornings were Haku's favorite time of day. Rested and at peace, Haku felt a pure joy in his task, uninterrupted by prejudice or conflict. He smiled softly as a bird lit on his shoulder, chirped questioningly, then flew off some distnace. He paused in his task, watching the bird, and the smile faded from his face as he saw the bird land again on... a body?

He stood up slowly, looking over the form- asleep, not dead. Suddenly his eyes flew to the hitai ate headband on the boy's forehead, and Recognition struck him.

"Tala!" He whispered out loud.

Naruto's eyes flew open as he gazed into Haku's. "Moni!" He said reverently.

Cutter Kinseeker looked on from the treetops with a feeling of mild unease. "Wow, I've heard of some awkward pairings from Recognition, but THAT has GOT to spell trouble." Standing next to him on the branch, his lifemate Leetah could only nod in agreement.

End Omake 2

Til next time.

-AXENOME


	7. Chapter Six: Blood on the Water

Alright... I've had a number of complaints about Naruto seeming too close to canon for the type of Naruto I'm trying to portray. Well, all I can say, is that team seven- especially Kakashi- is making an attempt to work Naruto through his issues. Not that they are making much headway, as it will become increasingly obvious to both them and the readers. Today this will start to become apparent to them; Naruto may seem cheerful and upbeat, but they will be disturbed by what they see creep slightly to the surface.

Previously:

Team Seven train for their inevitable rematch against Zabuza- And several important conversations happen. Naruto and Sasuke both have significant breakthroughs in the use of their dojutsus, and Inari has two important conversations with first Naruto and then Kakashi. Yet none of them realize that the day ahead will bear greater surprises than they could have guessed...

Chapter Six: Blood on the Water

Most of the household stood at the entrance to the room where Naruto slept insensate. The exception was Shikamaru, who stood with a small mirror next to Naruto's tatami. "Well, the mirror is fogging up, so he's still alive."

"I guess even the Kyuubii can only take your endurance so far." Commented Sasuke under his breath.

Kakashi shot him a dire look of warning, before shifting his eye to look over at Tazuna and Tsunami. Neither one seemed to have heard. He looked back over at the genin. "We will discuss that later, Sasuke."

Sasuke's grimace went unnoticed. Kakashi looked back at Tsunami. "I'm afraid we will need you to look after him." At her questioning look, Kakashi continued, "He's over worked himself, and needs to rest. When he wakes up, tell him I want him to take the day off."

--

"Are you ready to attack?" Came the voice from the headset laying in the bottom of the boat. "Zabuza? Pay attention when I talk to you!" The voice demanded.

Zabuza ignored it. "Haku. It's time." He said. "Remember what I told you."

"Yes sir." Haku replied.

--

"Aw crap!" Naruto shouted, his footsteps echoing down the hallway. "I overslept!" He poked his head around the doorway, shirt off, but nightcap still hanging over the side of his head.

Tsunami looked over at him in surprise, then shock. _He's really only fourteen? S_he wondered to herself. _He doesn't seem to have any bodyfat at all!_ Then her eyes narrowed as she noticed something on the left side of his chest... a fading scar in the shape of a word._ Trust? What does that mean?_

"Naruto?" Tsunami said after clearing her throat. "What are you doing up?"

"Where'd everybody go?" Naruto said with a slight note of panic growing in his voice.

"Kakashi sensei said you'd strained yourself too much, and that he wanted you to take the day off." She said. She turned back to the stove. _He's just a child... stop looking!_ "So I promised him I'd take care of you. And please put a shirt on... There is a child in the house, it isn't right to go running around half dressed."

Naruto stopped a moment, looking down at himself. "Wha-?" He said, trying to shift gears. "Uh, right... Sorry about that- I'll get ready and go, sorry!"

Tsunami followed him as he ran back to the room, but stayed out in the hall as he started getting dressed. In moments, he charged out of the room, but Tsunami halted him with a few words. "Where are you going?"

"I gotta protect Mr. Tazuna, he's-"

"Don't you trust your friends?" Tsunami asked.

Naruto blinked at her in astonishment. _Trust? Trust brings pain! Of course I don't-_

**NO, YOU LITTLE IDIOT.** Voiced the Kyuubi with a tone of exasperation. **KAKASHI LEFT YOU BEHIND FOR ANOTHER REASON. ZABUZA IS NOT THE ONLY THREAT TAZUNA FEARS AND TAZUNA IS NOT THE ONLY TARGET THAT COULD BE STRUCK OUT AT.**

_You mean Gato or Zabuza might come after Tazuna's family next!_ Naruto thought in reply.

**YES. EXACTLY.**

Naruto had a momentary vision of Iruka Sensei laying bleeding on the ground, his fuma shuriken embedded dead center of his chest. All over he felt the stab in his chest at the memory of Iruka dying, the knowledge that the only person who truly cared about him, was dead at his own hands. _I won't let that happen to Tazuna!_ "Um..." Naruto said, noticing Tsunami still looking at him in concern. "I guess, I'll stay here for now." He forced a half smile to his face. "Besides, I guess you could use some help around here, right?"

Tsunami seemed surprised at this turnabout. "I don't know, you're supposed to be resting..."

"Hey, it's okay!" Naruto replied, walking slowly first towards the wall, then up it, until he stood on the ceiling, looking at her casually. "I mean, it's not like I can just stand around like this all day."

Tsunami looked at him in astonishment before she giggled a little. "I guess not." She said.

Behind them, Inari just watched Naruto out of the corner of his eye.

--

"What the Hell?" Gasped Tazuna.

Around them, at the bridge, stretched a scene of carnage. Men lay bleeding and broken all around- Tazuna's crew. In spite of the horrific wounds, there was a terrible silence- and most of the bodies were far too still.

A slight groan issued from nearby- and though Tazuna was no ninja, nor even a young man, he was at the man's side almost before Kakashi could react. "What happened here?" He asked.

The man's eyes opened somewhat. "Tazuna?" He murmured. "Get out of here... run! They're monsters..."

--

"Inari! Can you bring your laundry downstairs please?"

"Okay mom, but I'm in the bathroom now!"

Outside, looking at the house, two ronin shared a vicious smile as they thumbed loose their katanas from their scabbards.

--

The mist around the bridge began to thicken. Kakashi shot to Tazuna's side. "Get ready! He's coming!"

Tazuna paid him no attention. "What do you mean, 'they?' Who are they?"

"They?" Shikamaru mouthed at Sasuke. The two of them quickly joined their Sensei's side.

They stood in a rough circle around Tazuna, eyes trained and alert. Kakashi lifted his hitai ate, and Sasuke activated his own Sharingan. After a moment, Sasuke tensed. Kakashi replied, "Go ahead, Sasuke."

Sasuke was a blur- Kunai flashed as forms rushed out of the mist, and water sprayed everywhere. After a second, Sasuke stood poised, both kunai out, waiting for the next assault.

"Well!" Commented Zabuza as he emerged relaxed from the mist. "It seems like you have matured quite a bit, kid. But where's the other one, your big brother?"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed angrily. "He's taking a nap. We don't need him for just you. "

"Ah!" Said Zabuza with a menacing cheer. "But I beg to differ- you see, it isn't just me... And I came prepared to take on all of you, today. Without him here I fear this might actually be a bit of overkill."

From behind him, a second, shorter figure walked calmly out of the mist, wearing a loose kimono, and a porcelain mask with dark eye slits. Between the eye slits was an engraved symbol of kirigakure village. "Shinobi hunter?" Wondered Kakashi out loud.

"Huh?" Said Sasuke, looking back at Kakashi.

"The mist village has a slightly different organization for their shinobi than we do in Konoha. But their Shinobi Hunters are roughly the equivalant of ANBU Black Ops. And this one appears to be fighting on Zabuza's team." Kakashi answered.

Sasuke stepped forward. "This one's mine."

Kakashi gave Sasuke a measured look, before nodding his assent. "Alright then."

"We're still on the offensive." Zabuza said. "Remember what I told you."

"Yes sir." The Hunter replied. He stood stock still.

Sasuke looked at this for a moment, then took a step forward, but paused as he felt something crunch underfoot. The water from the mizu bunshin had frozen into... ice?

The masked youth sprang into motion the moment that Sasuke's first footfall landed, hands rapidly forming seals. Needle-like shards of ice flew up from the ground, and Sasuke barely leapt out of the way. But as he landed, the masked boy was already there.

There was no time to block; Sasuke parried the senbon in the stranger's hand, and the two of them stood at an impasse, locked against one another's weapons. _His kimono... it has some weird property, its blurring his chakra... and it's so loose I can't see enough of his movements to guess what he's going to do... _

Suddenly, a second realization hit him. At this range, the mist could not conceal the mask the other wore. And from this close, he could see that the eye slits in the porcelain mask were carefully painted on. And at this second realization, Sasuke felt a real thread of fear grow in his belly as he understood just how much trouble he was really in.

--

The front door burst inwards in pieces. The two ronin stood there, katanas already resheathed before the door had properly come apart. Tsunami looked back over her shoulder in a panic, but Naruto was already gone.

"Old man Tazuna's daughter, right?" Asked the shorter of the pair. "Sorry, but you're coming with us."

--

Naruto gauged the two of them carefully from his spot on the counter. He was disguised as a kitchen knife- it was the first thing he could think of when the door burst inwards.

_They're pretty fast. _He thought to himself. _And their weapons have more reach than mine do._

_I need a distraction._

Just then, Inari opened the door to the kitchen. "Mama!"

--

The two ronin's eyes darted to the small boy. "What do you want, brat?"

"Inari!" Yelled Tsunami. "Get out of here! Go! Run!"

The two ronin looked at one another. "What do you think, Taki? Should we grab him too?" Asked the taller one.

Taki replied, "We only need one hostage."

His comrade chuckled. "Too bad... for him!"

Inari cringed.

"Wait!" Yelled Tsunami, confidence creeping back into her voice.

The ronin paused.

"If you dare touch my child, I'll bite through my tongue and drown in my own blood! Then what will you do for a live hostage?!"

"Heh." Taki laughed. "Be grateful to your ma, kiddo."

"Aw, man!" Complained his companion. "But I was dying to cut someone!"

"Relax, Memoru, my man!" Said the other. "You gave your blade a good workout before we got here. Get over it, and let's get moving!"

--

Inari sat on the step sobbing. _Mama, I'm sorry- I can't save you... I'm just a weak little crybaby... And I'm scared... I don't wanna die..._

("So just cause he scares you, you think he scares me?") Naruto asked from his memory.

Inari gasped.

("You think it's better to make everyone around you listen to you whine?") Naruto continued.

("I think... I think that one day he must have gotten fed up with crying.") Kakashi said.

("And as long as I'm around, Gato's gonna KEEP failing, because unlike you, I keep making myself better instead of treating everyone around me like a guest at your pity party!") Naruto said.

("He knows what it means to fight for what he believes in, and what it means to be strong. He knows what it's worth, and he knows what it costs... Just like your father, Kaiza, did.") Kakashi said again.

("If you dare touch my child, I'll bite through my tongue and drown in my own blood! Then what will you do for a live hostage?!")

Inari wiped the tears from his eyes. _Everyone else is so strong... so awesome... _His fists clenched, and he gritted his teeth. _Can I... be strong like them? Be strong like daddy?_

("If something is precious to you...") His father said from memory, ("Protect it with everything you've got!")

--

Naruto carried himself iwth dignity, just as he thought Tsunami might were she in this situation. Beside him, the Ronin with the eyepatch was prattling on about cutting "her," while his companion urged him to stop dawdling.

**NOT A BAD RUSE.** admitted Kyuubii grudgingly. **IT'S ALMOST WELL THOUGHT OUT.**

Naruto snickered at the kyuubii. _You're just mad cause you didn't think of it first. And the best part is, these guys are gonna take me right to Gato- I can end this whole mess today._

"Hey!" Came Inari's voice from behind, interruptingNaruto's mental conversation.

**HUH**/_Huh_**?** Kyuubi and Naruto thought together. Naruto looked back with the two ronin at Inari, who stood there at the end of the walk, tears streaming down his face, with a look of determination and a kitchen knife in his hand.

"Well, looky there. The brat came back." Commented Eyepatch.

"You get away from my mama!" Inari shouted, charging at the ronin.

_Aw, shit._ Thought Naruto to himself.

--

With a ripping sound the ropes binding Naruto's wrists was cut by the kunai knives he'd palmed. A rapid twist and slash with each hand and the knives were buried to the wrapped bindings in the temples of each of the ronin. And just like that, it was over.

**STUPID KID.** Growled the Kyuubii angrily.

Inari stumbled to a stop, dropping the kitchen knife. "N-Naruto?"

Naruto looked down at the two bodies angrily. "Well, so much for sneaking into their hideout, pretending to be a hostage."

From behind Inari, Tsunami ran out the door of the house, scooping up her child in her arms. Inari hung his head, not looking Naruto in the eyes. "I'm sorry I ruined your plan." He said quietly.

Naruto looked angry, but slowly, he sighed, and his features relaxed. "Inari, you NEVER let an enemy know you're there before you attack unless you got a LOT more people behind you to help."

Inari sniffled, but Naruto continued after a second. "But I'll say this much- that took some balls. Trying to save your mom, I can... understand. And... it was a good try- while they were focused on you they never saw me move." Inari sniffled harder. Naruto's eyes widened. "Aw crap! If they attacked here, that means they're gonna go for the bridge next! Tsunami san, do you have anywhere in the town you can hide?"

"I-I guess I can stay with-"

"Go! I gotta head to the bridge!" Naruto shouted. "Find someplace and hide! We can't afford you two taken hostage!"

Naruto was gone almost before he finished talking.

--

Senbon and Kunai rang brightly as Haku and Sasuke fought back and forth, while Zabuza and Kakashi warily eyed one another. Sasuke was losing ground slowly- the loose kimono and impassive mask hid almost all the cues that the Sharingan relied on, and even though Sasuke was adjusting slowly, he was still being driven back.

Sasuke gave a quick jump backwards, watching his position. Several needles impacted on the ground where he'd been standing a split second before, and the Masked hunter leapt to pursue.

"Sasuke, now!" Shikamaru yelled, his hands already moving.

"Katon!" Sasuke called, hands blurring in their familiar pattern. "Gokyaku no Jutsu!"

The fireball roared out, engulfing the descending Haku, who whipped the heavy folds of his kimono about himself to preotect against the flames. The fireball shone brightly; casting a long shadow stretching from Shikamaru almost all the way to Zabuza.

"Gotcha!" Shikamaru said. Both he and Zabuza ran towards the edge of the bridge- But it was Zabuza who was closer to the edge. And the angle he was headed was right towards some rocks breaking the surface of the water below.

--

"Haku!" Zabuza snapped.

Haku swiftly disengaged himself from the burning tatters of his kimono revealing the bodysuit underneath, lined with bandoliers of senbon needles. Sasuke had kept the fireball oriented in its original direction, maintaining the shadow for Shikamaru, and prayed that shikamaru could get Zabuza over the edge before Haku could catch him unable to move.

But Tazuna- not Sasuke- was the target of the thrown needles, and Sasuke's jutsu faltered as he relized the hand not throwing needles was... forming seals one handed?

Kakashi threw shuriken to deflect the needles, but as Haku landed, a stomp of his foot sent the water and ice across the bridge bouncing into the air, forming needles in all directions around himself. "Hidenjutsu no suidon: Suisenbon Bakuhatsu!"

And the hedgehog formation of icy shards exploded outwards in all directions.

--

Shikamaru released the shadow jutsu as he tumbled over the side. _Gotta remember the training! _He thought as he flipped over and extended his feet against the bridge support. The soles of his feet caught traction and his fall stopped.

Shikamaru's blood ran cold as he found himself face to face with Zabuza.

--

"Tazuna san." Said Kakashi, pulling out a kunai. "I'm afraid I have to leave your side for a moment."

Tazuna nodded. "Go save your boy."

--

Haku darted desperately to the side as a flurry of shuriken flew at him. Still fighting blind, he noticed the absence of sounds from the ground- his oppoentn had jumped into the air. He began forming seals but his motions faltered as he heard a voice coming from behind him. "You're not so fast."

Haku threw up a desperate block behind himself and felt a jarring bone to bone contact- then ducked as forearm muscles tensed. He felt as much as keard the kunai fly over his head, but his free arm he whipped out to cover his side as a roundhouse kick impacted dead on the blocking elbow. Haku sprang back, trying for distance, trying for time. His hands began forming seals. "Kirigakure no Jutsu!"

--

Sasuke bit off a snarl of frustration as the mist thickened further. Looking back, it dawned on him that there was nobody covering Tazuna. He dashed to Tazuna's side; teven as he got there, Tazuna was barely visible next to him in the horrible, grey-white haze.

His ears strained to hear, when suddenly Sasuke shivered. _Why is the air getting so cold?_

Sasuke sensed something flying at him- as he jerked away, he felt something tug at his sleeve. A senbon.

"Kusou!" Sasuke swore at the mist. "Quit hiding like a coward and fight me! Katon: Gokyaku no Jutsu!"

For a few seconds after the fire has subsided, the fog had been burned away, revealing... mirrors?

The masked hunter nin resided in them all.

"Not a bad idea... But do you have enough chakra to do it again? How long can you keep it up?" Asked the hunter, his image in every mirror forming seals and the fog began rolling in again.

A battle of attrition, then- The mirrors were ice, and the chakra which maintained them made them almost impervious to flame. Yet it took a constant flow of chakra to maintain them, and a constant flow of chakra to maintain the kirigakure jutsu.

And it also cost chakra to keep the sharingan up, and to keep burning away the fog.

Now, it was a battle to see whose chakra gave out first.

--

"Get to Mr. Tazuna. Zabuza and I have matters to discuss."

Shikamaru looked on in awe as Kakashi's tiny kunai held back Zabuza's cleaving blade. After a moment, shikamaru ran up the side of the bridge, leaving Kakashi facing Zabuza alone. They stood on the side of the bridge looking at one another for a few long seconds. "So. Here we are again."

Zabuza smirked. "Indeed. And when it is between the two of us, we already know who the stronger is. And we already know how this is going to end."

Kakashi replied, "Don't be so hard on yourself. You might get lucky and manage another draw."

Zabuza's eyes narrowed. "I notice the kid in the orange suit isn't here to rescue you. Managed to slip your babysitter, eh?"

"I don't need him to rescue me." Kakashi said calmly. "And... just so you know... the same jutsu won't work on me twice. Your move."

--

Sasuke's arms were leaden, and sweat laced with grime and blood ran into his eyes. But he knew that the fight was taking its toll on Haku as well. His timing with the fireballs was improving; he'd caught the masked Hunter with the fringes of two of them, and all he needed to finish this was one, clean hit, with kunai, or fireball. Haku was scorched and singed, and then last glimpse he'd caught showed the boy almost stumble.

Tazuna was remaining as calm as he could manage. Haku was using the older man to force Sasuke to deflect attacks against two people at once, but at least Tazuna had the sense not to move from where he was- a stationary object is much easier to protect from all directions than trying to guess if it was going to move into the path of a stray attack. Even so, it was taking all of Sasuke's skill and strength to keep the both of them from being crippled or killed.

_He's killing me- killing us- by inches._ Sasuke thought to himself.

Another fireball flared out, and Haku was forced midflight to avoid it, almost caught for a third time. The mist burned away, and no longer rolling in again, Sasuke noticed Haku's posture shift, the hunter nin taking a few deeps breaths, and steadying himself.

_This is it- all or nothing._ Sasuke thought to himself. _Last swing of the game._

Something moved in the corner of Sasuke's eye- He deflected senbon aimed at Tazuna, flung his last kunai in the direction of the motion- then felt his arm go dead with a series of piercing pains in his shoulder, and watched almost fascinated as a booted foot approached in his vision at something approaching terminal velocity.

There was a brutal impact against his chin, Sasuke's head snapped back to the sound of a grunt of pain and a kunai impacting flesh, and then the world faded to black.

--

Naruto approached the mist, engaging the Byakugan as he did. The Byakugan did indeed penetrate the mist, although its range was somewhat reduced by the chakra infusing it. Even so, it was more than accurate enough for Naruto to see clearly- and in all directions. _Now, for the second stage- Sharingan with Byakugan. _"Kamigan!"

The Eye of God- Seeing all around it, understanding immediately the structure and motion of everything in its sight. Naruto felt the beginnings of the headache but almost immediately it began to fade as Kyuubii pumped out chakra to heal him.

_No matter how well he hides, nothing can keep him from me. And there he is, facing off against Kakashi on the side of the bridge. _

--

Zabuza and Kakashi stepped back from one another, breathing heavily. They'd both gotten in some decent hits but nothing decisive- they both had a decent array of nicks, cuts, and bruises. Zabuza gathered himself, ready to end the stalemate, when suddenly a voice from above him on the bridge froze him in his tracks. "Didn't I tell you, that the next time I saw you... I'd kill you?"

Zabuza's hands blurred into action, with a flurry of hand seals. "And I told you, kid, that you'd never even see me." He replied coolly as the mist rolled in again.

--

Kakashi ran for the top of the bridge, seeing Shikamaru standing inside of an array of icy mirrors, standing over the prone bodies of Tazuna and Sasuke. "Kakashi sensei- Did you get Zabuza?" Shikamaru called out. He dodged to the side, catching a senbon in the fleshy part of his calf instead of his knee.

"He's fighting against Naruto!" Kakashi replied, wincing as his chest throbbed from the bruising impact of a kick he'd received at Zabuza's hands.

"What? Aren't you going to help him?" Said Shikamaru, momentarily distracted. For some reason, Haku didn't follow up on this opening, and Kakashi noticed that there was blood frozen to the surface of some of the mirrors.

"Are you worried about him?" Said Kakashi, getting to Shikamaru's side inside the mirrors.

"Yeah, just a little!" Snapped Shikamaru.

"The one who should be worried," Said Kakashi, "Is Zabuza."

--

The mist was tight and thick, but Naruto sight could penetrate it with ease. He stood still, examining the place where Zabuza clung to the underside of the bridge, against one of the supports. The chakra based, accoustic enhancing properties of the mist around him, combined with the support and the bottom of the bridge, conspired to turn the location into an almost perfect sounding board. Any shred or whisper of sound louder than a heartbeat would be precisely relayed to him, indicating location, distance, and direction of motion, if any.

Zabuza tensed as Naruto began forming seals, divining the best means by which to deal with the blond genin- but suddenly , He was frozen in indecision as two thousand clones popped into being in all directions.

That moment of indecision proved to be Zabuza's downfall, as the Kage Bunshin crowd turned to face Zabuza's location, cupped their hands to their mouths, and shouted at the top of their lungs.

--

Kakashi and Shikamaru were still back to back, waiting for the next attack, when from beneath the bridge the roar of two thousand voices shook it to its very foundations. The ice crystal mirrors that Haku had shaped were shattered at the devastating blast of sound, and all of their hearing was plagued by a buzzing noise that lasted long after the original shout had died off.

"What the hell was that?" Yelled Shikamaru through the ringing in his ears.

--

For Zabuza the attack was beyond devastating. His position and mist had been calculated for maximum accoustic amplification, and he was hit with the full force of the combined roars. He'd had no chance at all; the volume of sound ruptured his eardrums and destroyed his inner ear.

Reeling, half stunned, and dazed, Zabuza fell from his perch, blindly throwing a cluster of shuriken at the opposing support, trying to buy himself time to hit the water.

Naruto released the clones and started running down the pillar to keep pace with Zabuza, but skidded to a stop as a volley of shuriken buried themselves in the post at his feet. _This is what it's like to fight a jonin! _He marvelled. _Almost incapacitated and yet he still almost killed me there. _

**HE WILL NOT KILL US TODAY.** Said Kyuubii in response. **AND HE WILL NOT LIVE TO SEE TOMORROW.**

Naruto threw himself free and used the Kage Bunshin again. Twenty clones followed him into the river after Zabuza. They looked around, trying to figure out where Zabuza hadgone, but by the time they saw him, he'd already begun his jutsu. "Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu!"

A wall of water slammed Naruto and his clones deep under.

--

Zabuza knew he was deafened forever. The silence and pain in his ear was too complete, and his fury at his maiming focused all his hate on Naruto. Summoning up the majority of his waning chakra reserves, he executed one of the deadliest techniques in the arsenal of Kirigakure. "Suiton: Suikodan no Jutsu!"

Naruto shook off the stunning effects of the impact from that solid wall of water, and started up to the surface. He pulled up short as he saw the pair of streamlined forms swimming at him from above. _What the- Sharks?!_ He thought to himself.

--

Zabuza smiled coldly. The technique was limited in its applications- to make most effective use of it, the foe needed to be completely immersed in water, where the speed and power of the sharks reigned supreme over the slow, clumsy movements of land bound creatures. _But that, of course, it what the Giant Waterfall is for: to force the enemy into an arena they can't hope to win in._

Zabuza watched hungrily as his sharks closed in.

--

Naruto floundered near the bottom as he regrouped- the two sharks had pounded him mercilessly. He tried to focus past the burning in his lungs as he assessed his situation. Fighting them had so far only squandered his chakra and his air, and they regenerated any damage he inflicted on them. He needed a plan.

After a few moments he considered the nature of the Kage Bunshin- they were essentially masses of chakra, after all, divided between his false bodies and his true one. By releasing the jutsu he was able to reclaim some of the chakra he expended, dividing it between himself and the other clones he had in existance. Yet the technique had its danagerous side, too- each of the bodies, as it took injury, wouldlose chakra, meaning even his massive reserves of chakra could be expended quickly.

_If, instead of consuming the chakra back... But how would that work?_

**FILTER THE CHAKRA THROUGH A WOOD PATTERN, THEN INTERNALIZE A FIRE TECHNIQUE.** The Kyuubii responded. **IT SHOULD DETONATE QUITE NICELY.**

Naruto grinned from the riverbed, looking up. Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!

--

Zabuza watched with a smirk as Naruto used the Kage Bunshin again. _Well, obviously he didn't learn from the last time._ Thought Zabuza.

The two clones swam up from the bottom as Naruto himself remained where he was- but why was he covering his head?

There was a blinding flash of light, and Zabuza found himself hurtling through the air, before impacting with something with bone crushing force.

The water sharks dissipated before Zabuza had fallen the distance from the underside of the bridge back to the water's surface, where his body impacted with a splash as Naruto finally came up for air. Gagging from the water in his mouth and lungs, Naruto coughed and gasped for a few minutes, before looking around for Zabuza.

Zabuza had never come back up- but his sword remained, half embedded in the sand at the bottom of the water. Naruto retrieved it, then made his way back up the pillar.

--

"Kill me."

Sasuke's eyes opened. His chin felt like tenderized meat and his head was swimming, but he was clearly still alive. The mirrors were shattered; Shikamaru and Kakashi were looking at the hunter nin with surprise while Kakashi held a kunai to his throat. "Why should we kill you?" Kakashi said.

"Zabuza sama has no use for a weak or broken tool. You've taken away my reason for living."

Kakashi frowned thoughtfully. "It's gotten quiet down there."

"Do you think Naruto is alright?" Asked Shikamaru. "The last thing I heard from down there was a huge explosion in the water."

Kakashi frowned, looking over at Tazuna. Tazuna was sitting up- several senbon had struck him but the old man was very much alive. Overall, he was in better shape than any of them except perhaps Shikamaru. He turned his head back to Haku, whose mask had been removed. "Perhaps you still have a reason to live. What is your name, boy?"

"H-Haku." Haku seemed surprised.

Kakashi nodded. "You are now our prisoner. If you truly desire to be a tool, to be used so, then you may someday become our tool. It was not the tool which was insufficient to its task, but the hand that directed in. The finest tool can fail a task if it is not used properly."

A wet slap on the side of the bridge drew all of their eyes- and a collective sigh of relief went up as Naruto clambored over the side, looking drained and battered but bearing Zabuza's sword slung across his back. Naruto sat down on the edge of the bridge and began pouring water out of his toolbag.

Haku burst into tears at the sight of Zabuza's sword; this drew Naruto's attention to him. "YOU?" He blurted.

Haku suddenly remembered their encounter yesterday morning- was that really only a day ago?

The scene was disrupted by a harsh voice. "Bah!" snapped Gato. "Must I do everything myself?"

On the far end of the bridge, near the landing, stood Gato, surrounded by a virtual army of thugs and brigands. Below in the water, near the shore, there was a large barge moored to the bridge. They were cut off from the shore.

"But at least he wore you all out!" Gato said with a smirk. "I don't have to pay him for it, either!"

Kakashi took stock of his group and realized with a sinking feeling that Gato was probably right. He himself was still bleeding from a dozen small cuts, Naruto was exhausted from his fight with Zabuza, Sasuke was a mess, and Shikamaru was needed not only to keep tabs on the prisoner but couldn't handle a crowd like this anyways, even at top form.

Kakashi glanced around and realized that Naruto was gone. _Either he has an idea, or we're REALLY in trouble._

Then, things went from bad to worse. From the treeline on the shore, emerged two of Gato's henchmen, katana's drawn, each escorting tsunami and Inari at sword point.

--

"Ah, perfect timing." Said Gato triumphantly. "Bring them to me."

The pair nodded, bringing the hostages roughly forward. Inari sniffled a little, but was trying to put a brave face on it.

Tazuna was frozen, sick with horror.

_It's over._ Thought Kakashi. _We've lost._

They all watched silently as the two henchmen brought their captives forward; the roars of laughter and approval from the mob of thugs rang out as the four walked. As they drew near to Gato, then slowed, the billionaire raised his hand, waving them all quiet. "Tazuna!" He called. "Let's not make this any messier than it has to be. Come away from your discount bodyguards and get this over with!"

A sparkle of light glinted off something in the hands of Tsunami, catching Kakashi's eye. _Brilliant._ Kakashi thought to himself. As the dejected Tazuna started forward, Kakashi caught his arm. "Follow my lead." he muttered. Louder, he shouted back, "You have no leverage- kill the hostages, and you'll have nothing to protect you!"

Gato stared at him a moment before laughing uproariously. He walked forward and slapped Tsunami. "Protect me? Hahaha-" His laughter choked off suddenly, as one of the bodyguards stepped forward, katana flashing- Then the two henchmen, Inari, and Tsunami changed into a cluster of four Narutos, one of which was holding Zabuza's sword horizontally. Gato's face looked surprised, before it tumbled forward with the rest of Gato's head, to hit the surface of the brodige. A moment later, the twitching body followed it. The three clones around Naruto vanished in puffs of smoke as Naruto stood there panting, facing down the mob in front of him.

The uncertain mob milled about, looking at the blond kid holding level the sword that was longer than he was tall. A brave one among them called out, "Hey, you killed our meal ticket!Who's gonna pay us?"

"Nobody!" Said Naruto, wiping the blood off the sides of Zabuza's blade with two swift swipes against Gato's body.

"Aren't you forgetting?" The man taunted, after looking around at the crowd around him. "There's too many of us for you to stop!" The crowd began to roar with greed as the spokesman continued, "If we can't get our money from Gato, then we'll take it from every building in the village!"

The noise suddenly stopped as an arrow flew over their heads from behind and struck the ground at the spokesman's feet. Everyone's eyes went to the land on the far side of the bridge, where the entire town seemed to be gathering. Weilding bows, spears, swords, and in some cases, pitchforks, they stood, united. And, leading them stood Inari, the real one, wearing a pot over his head and carrying a light crossbow. "Go home or die!" Shouted one of the villagers, a cry taht was taken up by the rest of the village quickly. The mob of brigands assessed the villagers, then shot a look in the direction of the Ninja at the other end of the bridge. Naruto's guts clenched as he realized their fastest escape was down to the end of the bridge- right through all of those he'd sworn to protect.

_Kyuubii!_

**THIS RABBLE? THEY ARE NO MATCH FOR US.**

Naruto felt the kyuubii's chakra infuse him. "Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Naruto shouted.

A hundred clones stood between them and the wounded ninja. "Don't even think it." The bunshin said as a group.

The brigands scattered, diving off the sides of the bridge, swimming for their lives. Behind them, at the landing, the villagers cheered and jeered at the retreating bandits, while Inari walked forward with trepidation.

"Naruto... did I do... ok?" He asked.

Naruto looked down at him with an unreadable expression, before he said, "Yeah- just remember as an archer, you shoulda been in the back. Let the guys in the front hold em off while you poke hioles in them."

Inari stood uncertain at this statement, until Naruto added, "But yeah, good to see you're a fast learner."

Inari broke into a grin.

--

The bank of the river was grimy and slick. Zabuza barely had the strength to pull himself out of the water. Retching and coughing, he lay there on the bank, exhausted. His sword was gone; so were much of the bandages that covered his face.

He was completely deaf, he knew. Shaking the water out of his ears made him horribly dizzy, and the red splatters that resulted meant that not all the moisture was from the river.

He needed medical attention. Yet as a nuke-nin, going to a hospital was tantamount to suicide. And he didn't want to die, not just yet.

A memory sparked itself in his mind- rumors of the underground said that the new hidden village- Otogakure- was headed by a powerful missing nin, one who was gathering talent to himself. One who was supposedly a collector of all jutsu. If anyone knew a way to heal Zabuza's hearing, it would be him.

The Sound border wasn't far from here- a day or two at the most.

_So be it. _Zabuza thought to himself. _I will seek out Orochimaru._

--

Ten Days Later

The repair of the bridge stretched out the construction of the bridge by about five days- Zabuza's ears hadn't been the only thing damaged by Naruto's shout. But Naruto lent his clones and his hands to the repairs, and then to the subsequent completion of the bridge. He wasn't one for pouring concrete or setting rebar, but those he left to the more experienced while he performed the labor of transporting the materials to the site.

And today, they left the Land of waves, payment rendered for services provided. Inari had been in tears, but Naruto was stoic.

And Naruto walked along a little behind them the whole way home- as though he wanted to see with his own eyes that everyone would be alright.

Behind them, the newly constructed Great Naruto Bridge stood, a symbol of a new beginning for Nami no Kuni.

End Chapter Six

-AN: OK. That was really long. But it wouldn't let go until I finished it.

Before ANYTHING ELSE, let me say that, yes, Zabuza's sword is too big for Naruto to use- for now, at any rate. But he didn't fight with it, he just used it to decapitate a fat, old man with a gimp leg who was standing stock still.

For those of you who are still messaging me about "the Bloodline Jutsu's for Dummies" scroll, allow me to AGAIN point out that knowledge of what it is used for is restricted to the Hokage. It is generally known of as a forbidden scroll to others, supposedly being full of Jutsu that in one way or another cripple or hamper the user if used improperly. And to be fair, a lot of things on the scroll are just that- The Kage Bunshin is listed as exceptionally dangerous to the unwary who use it, and I imagine the Lotus would be on there, as well as a couple other things mentioned in the Manga but I am too tired to recount right now. The whole Idea I am promoting here is that it continues a means by which to preserve bloodlines that have been lost to the village so that it isn't crippled a generation down the line by the deaths of a relatively few people. Sort of like a back up disk for your computer, but better protected. And before I hear anything about, "An academy student who snuck in, real great protections, ha ha" let's face it. Naruto has always been a fairly sneaky one. ANBU has trouble tracking him down in Canon after his pranks, as well as after he stole the scroll. If ANBU is amongst the best the village has to offer, then that says something about Naruto's native talent in breaking and entering.

**Jutsus used that most may not know: **

Hidenjutsu no suidon: Suisenbon Bakuhatsu (Secret art of Water: Water Needle Explosion): Forming needles from water and surrounding oneself with them, before sending them out in a wave in all directions.

Suiton: Suikodan no Jutsu (Art of Water: Water Shark Missiles): Same technique as Kisame uses, although as Zabuza doesn't have nearly as much Chakra as Kisame does, it doesn't create as many nor as fast of water sharks as Kisame's.

Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu(Mass Shadow Clone): Shadow clones, produced in economy packs.

That's about all I can think of for the moment; I've been typing all morning and much of the afternoon, and I have a headache. Thanks for reading so far, and I'll see you all soon, I hope.

-AXENOME


	8. Chapter Seven: Repercussions

Foreword: Got it finished a day before schedule! But before anybody gets all happy and bouncy or angry and flamey, I would like to point out to everyone that this is NOT, I repeat, N-O-T a yaoi fic. There will not even be a yaoi pairing. I refuse to write such a thing, it is NOT my style and not at ALL to my tastes, nor is there any real indicator except for maybe one or two characters that any of them are in fact homosexual. Reason for this disclaimer is in the chapter. Also, Naruto is not really an emo- he just discovered early on that he couldn't keep a scar very well, and the idea of a tattoo hasn't yet occured to him. For the first time, I try to reveal a little bit of the psychology that is driving Naruto. So bear with the flashback- I think it conveys the situation fairly well, even if it is a little derivative.

Additional note: Forgot an important piece of exposition, have made changes to the chapter. Would probably serve you well to reread the Hokage's conversation with Kakashi. Thanks to dragoon-zerox‏ for finding this ommission! I haven't made any personal thanks to anyone yet but I will start with him, as he's been here since the beginning and has been the reason for many of the necessary explanations by him pointing out what wasn't specific enough. He's been instrumental in helping me improve the quality of this work.

Previously: Zabuza makes his move against Tazuna, and team seven finds the workers at the bridge slain and wounded. Naruto intercepts several of Gato's henchmen tasked to kidnap Tazuna's family; then heads to the bridge. After a fairly devastating battle, Zabuza is defeated, and Haku captured. Under a ruse, Naruto gets close enough to kill Gato, and the village unites to drive off the bandits. Now, the bridge completed, Team Seven returns to Konoha to learn, that every action has its consequence...

Chapter Seven: Repercussions

The office was, as always, spartan and somewhat sterile. No more in it than needed for the job being done.

Not first the first time, Kakashi wished for something a little bit more... interesting in the room. Maybe a bookshelf with the Icha Icha series on it. On the other side of the desk, sat Sarutobi patiently.

"So. How did it go?"

Kakashi sat back in his chair slightly. "He's... fairly complicated. One moment close to somber, the next pretending as though he hasn't a care in the world."

"How was his performance?" The Sandaime continued. "He practices some... unorthodox methodology, according to your written report. What is your impression of him?"

"In battle, he's terrifying. Adaptive, innovative, unpredictable." Kakashi said flatly. "I watched him fight an A-class bingo book Nuke nin to a stand still with no fore warning, a Nuke-nin who had me captured at the time. Admittedly, his movements were curtailed at the time, but despite this Mamochi Zabuza is... was no slouch. And the second encounter with Zabuza, Naruto took him on virtually solo, and defeated him soundly." Belatedly, Kakashi chuckled as he realized he'd made a pun.

"What's funny?" Asked the Hokage.

Kakashi shook his head. "Naruto is quick on his feet. Despite his scholastic lackings, in the field he possesses a unique talent for innovating and making creative use of even his most basic talents. Against Zabuza, who was relying on his ears, going so far as to attempt to deprive us all of our sight to seize the advantage... Naruto turned this tactic against him- by yelling."

"Yelling?" Said the Hokage.

"Yes... all two thousand of him." Kakashi said wryly. "My ears still ache just remembering the noise. And I can only picture how devastating it must have been to Zabuza- he didn't have six feet of stone bridge between him and the roar."

"Heh." Chuckled the Sandaime. "Soundly indeed." The Hokage turned to look out the window. "How about the others in team seven? How are they dealing with him?"

"They've taken to him surprisingly well." Kakashi said, following Sarutobi's gaze out the window to the Hokage Monument Mountain. "Even, interestingly enough, the captured nin we brought back with us, Haku. Haku seems to have transferred his admiration of Zabuza to Naruto instead. Although technically a prisoner of Team Seven, he seems to believe he is personally the prisoner of Naruto. At least, by his actions, at any rate."

"As to the others, in the short time we were gone, prolonged exposure to Naruto seems to have had a profound effect on their motivation and their growth. The most remarkable development, however, is not in written form, for... reasons we are both aware of."

The Sandaime nodded, grimacing. Yes... The council, most especially, Danzou. "So what is it, that was... accidentally omitted from the report?"

"Naruto has learned to activate both Byakugan and Sharingan at the same time." Kakashi replied.

"Then he's tamed it." There was no question in Sarutobi's voice.

"Yes. I believe the Kyuubii is fully under his control." Answered Kakashi.

"Another thing it is best the council never finds out about." The Sandaime said with a sigh.

"You're leading up to something." Kakashi said. It was not a question.

"Kakashi, the records of this mission have been sealed by order of the council."

"Why?" Kakashi asked, startled.

"The council looked over the mission report- understandable, as Naruto has been a great concern of theirs over the years. You will be happy to learn that they no longer wish to have him eliminated." Sarutobi said. He took Kakashi's silence as a signal to elaborate. "They were impressed with his attempts to save his team, putting himself on the line for both client and comrades, but were most shocked by his victory over the nuke-nin Mamochi Zabuza. They have overviewed a training session including yourself, and the other two members of team seven, and have conceded that not only is he a very powerful individual but that his influence has begun to bring out the fullest potential of his two team mates. Under your guidance, the council has conceded that you are creating the newest Sannin."

Kakashi sat back, fully stunned, now. "That's... quite a compliment."

"Something of a compliment, maybe a touch of flattery, but more importantly a piece of political prevention. If word got out of the force that team seven is becoming, especially Naruto, there would almost assuredly be... attempts to eliminate a future threat." The Hokage narrowed his eyes as he looked at the monument and stroked his beard thoughtfully. "I wonder if I should shave this."

"So in essense, you have no choice but to accede to their wishes." Kakashi said. "In truth, it's a very good idea. But why do I get the feeling you have misgivings about it?"

"Danzou is a tricky bastard." The Hokage replied. "And I'm acquiring an ingrained response to anything he promotes, that I should be against it. So far, it has been fairly reliable. The Irony of it all? If this trend continues, Naruto may well and away become the most powerful shinobi Konoha has ever seen... and despite this, he may never be recognized by his peers enough to take my office after I'm gone."

"Academic." Kakashi said. "There has never been a jinchuuriki Kage, and no village would ever look past the surface to allow it. It will never happen."

"Do you still think of him only as a jinchuuriki, after all this time?" The Hokage replied with some surprise. "I thought better of you than that."

"No." Said Kakashi in response. "I see him as Uzumaki Naruto, a worthy and devoted Konoha shinobi. Possibly the best and brightest of his generation, a beacon of decency, as we sit here in your den plotting politics around him. And I also know that there is no force on earth that can overpower the might of ignorance and idiocy all marching in the same direction- not even that of his good heart backed by the strength of the Kyuubii within him. The villagers, no matter the words of a few who've had the fortune of meeting him, will believe what they always have, because it is easier for them and less damaging to their egos than to admit they have been wrong for fourteen years."

For a few minutes, there was no more conversation as the two men looked out the window at the Hokage Monument. Four carven faces in the wall of the mountain, the greatest shinobi of Konoha's history. But for an accident of birth, Naruto might well have someday been up there on that mountain.

Finally, the Sandaime broke the silence. "Your report says he is ruthless to all adversaries. How many did he kill?"

"Oddly enough, only as many as he had to... I think. Including Gato, he killed three for certain, and possibly a fourth."

"Possibly?" Asked the Hokage with a raised eyebrow.

Kakashi's visible eye looked thoughtful. "We never recovered Zabuza's body. After what I've seen I can't picture how he survived. But Zabuza was also once a Hunter nin. If there was a way for him to have survived, I'm certain he would have found it."

--

The street was largely abandoned. A few late night pedestrians were going about their busines of trversing from point A to point B, but here on the rooftops, Hakue was for all intents and purposes alone. This was much as he preferred it. It gave him time to think.

("And the few who dare, ask only if they have the money to pay. A rich woman with a runaway cat would get help before a poor one wrongly accused of theft. And I... I can't accept that.")

("I think it's time for me to forge my own path." )

("Naruto... did I do... ok?") ("Yeah- just remember as an archer, you shoulda been in the back. Let the guys in the front hold em off while you poke holes in them. But yeah, good to see you're a fast learner.")

_A shinobi is a tool. _Haku thought to himself. _A tool doesn't decide how it is to be used, it simply does its job... right?_

("I understand that there are things more important than what the villagers think of me.")

_How can one still be a shinobi and still feel? _

("I believed that if I worked hard enough, got better than anyone else, that they would accept me.")

("It was the dream of a child.")

("I understand that there are things more important than what the villagers think of me.")

_He doesn't hide behind it. That's his secret. He knows what he does, every second of it, takes responsibility for everything he chooses. How can he stand it? _

("I think it's time for me to forge my own path.")

Haku wasn't certain why, but he felt the urge to look in the window. He edged his way closer to the apartment, trying to catch a glimpse inside.

Naruto was there. He was brushing his teeth while walking from one side of the room to where Haku could only assume was the bathroom. Almost unbidden, a smile rose to his lips.

Faintly, Haku could hear the sound of water running. After several seconds, the water shut off, and Naruto came out of the bathroom. Haku suddenly felt warm as Naruto pulled out a nightshirt and cap from beneath his pillow. Haku froze, uncertain, knowing Naruto probably wouldn't appreciate being watched like this, but he couldn't tear his eyes away.

Haku's eyes widened as Naruto pulled of his shirt. His upper body was slim, with just a hint of the man that he would someday become- a thought that made Haku's head swim and his heart beat faster.

Haku's eyes noticed something on the lower left side of Naruto's chest, a scar of some sort. Haku wondered at the kind of injury that would leave a scar so large- it was about the length and width of the palm of a man's hand.

Haku was about to move closer to get a better look, when the skin on his throat informed him of the presence of something cold and sharp resting across his jugular vein. Helooked slowly to his left to see Naruto standing there, still barechested, holding a kunai to his throat. "..."

In spite of the kunai at his throat, Haku found his face geting warm and his pulse elevating at Naruto's nearness.

"..." Naruto's continuing silence was almost eloquent.

"..." Haku's silence was punctuated by the slow development of a deep blush.

Finally, Naruto broke the silence. "Haku, um... You know, I dunno what you were doing out here, I don't have a clue where I should start in asking about it, and I'm not even sure I wanna know."

Haku's blush intensified. "N-Naruto san..."

Naruto grimaced. "So, what ARE you doing out here?" He asked, pulling the kunai away before concealing it somewhere on his person. Certainly not in his shirt, as he wasn't wearing one.

Haku blinked; it was a moment before he had an excuse, as he himself wasn't even certain why. "I wanted to see... the scar... on your chest."

Naruto looked down, and Haku followed his gaze. From this close, Haku could see that the scar formed the kanji for "Trust."

"Who did that to you?" Haku asked.

Naruto's eyes darkened. "I did." He said. "And I still do."

Haku was confused. "What... what do you mean?"

Naruto cocked his head slightly to the side. "I don't keep scars very well. I heal too fast. So every morning, I... reinforce it."

Haku looked at the scar in dismay. It was large, and carefully drawn. To brand oneself with something like this, not just once, but every day...

"Please leave me, now." Naruto said, turning his head away. "I'm sure you have others you would rather spend your time with."

Haku was torn, uncertain what to do or say. He watched helplessly as Naruto went back inside, shut the window, and closed the blinds.

--

"We need an incident." Said Danzou.

Gendo turned to look at his superior across the desk, confusion on his face. "Sir?"

"The trouble with this new Naruto is he doesn't draw enough attention to himself." Danzou said.

Gendo frowned. "I... I don't understand, sir." He admitted.

Danzou limped over to the window. "Do you remember the day that Naruto defaced the Hokage Monument? The day before he left for so long?"

"Yes sir. As I remember, you laughed for hours." Gendo replied with a smile.

"For years, Naruto's pranks and mischief helped to fan the flames of sentiment against him." Danzou said, sipping from his tea cup that he held loosely in one hand. "The constant support of the Hokage, shielding him from the worst of the villagers responses, protecting him from outright violence- that support had begun to solidly and all but inextricably link Naruto to the position of Hokage. Naruto Uzumaki, troublemaker, monster in human form, created by the Yondaime Hokage and nurtured by the Sandaime. He was a catalyst- one I worked for year to create. How much do you know about psychology, Gendo?"

"Not much, sir."

"Human beings crave community. It's in our blood, our marrow, it's tied to our very souls. We crave the notice and approval of people around us. We need to belong to something. Especially children. Isolation causes an increasingly desperate and outspoken attempt at garnering that attention, eventually manifesting itself in acting out, pretending good cheer, anything to get noticed. Better even disapproval and resentment than outright indifference. And Naruto responded absolutely perfectly to this. A few rumors here, a drunken reminiscence about the calamity inflicted on us by the Kyuubii every so often... It was perfect, went perfectly according to plan. And he was such a perfect tool for the purpose of stirring a subconscious resentment against the position of Hokage." Danzou's fingers reached out and touched the glass of the window, as though he thought he could reach out and touch the Hokage monument with his hands. "But the type of resentment it takes to depose a Hokage cannot be built overnight. Like a forge, the flames of hatred must be fanned long and steadily by a determined and devoted hand to do their work."

"Their resentment of the Hokage and their hatred of Naruto must leave them uncertain at the moment of truth, must leave them unsure as to which side they should choose. Otherwise, we take the risk of martyring the Sandaime." Danzou's grip tightened ever so slightly on the cup. A civilian would have noticed nothing, but it had not escaped Gendo's attention. "I was forced to place an emergency seal on the records regarding this last mission to Nami no Kuni. If word of Naruto's part in the mission becomes public knowledge, the Hokage's part in sponsoring him becomes completely validated."

Gendo mulled this over in his mind for a minute. "You were the one that arranged for the timing of Tazuna's request processing, were you not, milord?"

Danzou smiled thinly. "I wondered if you had noticed that."

"Then... You arranged specifically for Team Seven to receive that mission. You knew of the involvement of the Demon Zabuza?" Gendo asked. "If so, then you intended for their mission... to fail?"

Danzou sighed in frustration. "Naruto's ego has always been easy to flick. I had such hopes after his first explosion at Tazuna before they even left the village. I always knew the boy was mercurial, but Imagine! Threatening the life of your first paying escort client within minutes of receiving the mission! I was CERTAIN he'd botch it. I even arranged for the chakra tracer planted in Tazuna's pack, so that any who had been keyed to it could home in on it unerringly."

Danzou's face reflected his growing agitation. "Once the mission had failed, we could have gone public with the details. It would have severely discredited the Sandaime- had it not been for his special dispensation, Naruto would never have made genin to be on this mission in the first place. In fact, we could have pinned the loss of Kakashi of the Sharingan Eye on Naruto- from the mission reports, Zabuza nearly killed him in their first encounter. We could have called it incompetence or even outright sabotage."

Gendo noticed that Danzou's hold on his tea cup had tightened to a knuckle whitening grip. "Instead." Danzou said in a voice growing progressively more hoarse. "Instead, that little jinchuuriki teme saved the mission. Repeatedly. **THE GREAT NARUTO BRIDGE!**" He roared, and Danzou's arm blurred, flinging the tea cup to smash against the wall. Tea dripped in a hypnotic pattern down the wallpaper, darkening the trails as it soaked in. "How the **FUCK** do we use that?!"

Gendo began to sweat. He'd never seen the head of ANBU Root like this.

"That little MONSTER is putting years of effort to NOTHING!" Danzou yelled. "What kind of jinchuuriki doesn't REVEL in slaughter?! What kind of monster IS he, that he can make people respect him, that he can work so hard to PROTECT people?! WHAT THE FUCK IS HE?!"

Gendo cleared his throat. "A... decent person, milord."

Danzou glared at Gendo for a moment. "We need an incident. Something to brand him anathema to the village. And I mean to have it."

Danzou turned back to the window. "Send for Sai."

--

Naruto opened his eyes. A quick scan of the room indicated everything was in place. Nothing was moved, none of his traps were compromised or triggered, nobody was here.

Everything was alright.

He released the Kage Bunshin in the mattress above him, and opened up the trap door that would lead him up to underneath his bed. Rolling out from underneath, he stood up and stretched, scratched his scalp, checked out the scar on his chest. It was mostly faded away.

Naruto had been performing the same ritual for more than a month and a half now- ever since the moment he'd stared down at the dying form of Iruka-sensei, listened to his words...

_Flashback_

_It would have worked had Naruto not been surprised. But Naruto acted on reflex, instinct. The massive metal weapon flew at him as he opened the door- Naruto snatched it out of the air, used its momentum to sweep his leg around, dropping his opponent to the ground, last of the momentum of the weapon arcing up, over, and down into his opponent. "N-Naruto!" His foe gasped in a voice nightmarishly familiar. "N-nice sho-shot!"_

_Naruto looked in horror at the body next to him, shaking hand releasing the shuriken to stand monolithically still in his opponent's torso. The hair, the scar... __"I-Iruka-sensei?" Naruto said in a tone of disbelief. "B-but... why did you... what did I... Why, sensei? What did I do wrong?"_

_Iruka lay there on the ground in a growing pool of his own blood. He moved his arms feebly, gasping shallowly. His chest remained almost motionless in spite of his attempts to draw air- His fuma shuriken prevented much else. It was embedded into his chest, splitting his breastbone, and embedded into the very floor of Naruto's doorstep. Iruka's legs were entirely motionless; a distant portion of Naruto's mind guessed that the shuriken had severed his sensei's spine about the seventh thoracic vertebra. Cruelly, the weapon had somehow missed the aorta and the pulmonary vascular system; Iruka was bleeding to death and suffocating at the same time, but the embedded weapon was constricting the flow of blood from the lesser arterial systems it has cloven. He was feeling every horrible second of it. _

_"I was... ordered by... Hokage..." Iruka said in his shallow gasps. "You... can't be... trusted... killed chuunin... council felt... I was best... chance to kill you..."_

_Naruto was in an almost blind panic now. "Stay calm, I can get a medic nin here!" He said, crying, holding a cloth to the sides of Iruka's injury. "I'll get you to a doctor, please, don't die, please don't die!"_

_"No..." Iruka whispered. "Better... this way..." Iruka gagged, gave a light shiver, and spit up a phlegmy wad of bloody mucus weakly, the gory mess dripping down the side of his cheek. Vaguely, Naruto smelled something with a reek of raw sewage; he didn't want to think what it was. Iruka continued, "You're better... than they deserve.. hokage is... protect them... even if... never hokage in... name, be one... in spirit... trust nobody... don't let them kill you..." Iruka faded momentarily, then seemed to rally himself. Naruto could feel the chakra come off his body in waves and knew time was short. "Stay Alive! In the end... if you protect them... you... win..."_

_Iruka's eyes stopped moving, now stared emptily. their shine was lost; his chest stopped moving. The blood stopped pumping from around the killing weapon. _

_A terrible pain tore through Naruto; his eyes burned and a scream ripped its way out of his chest, through his throat, tore the skin of his mouth raw with chakra and emotion. There were no words, only the primal hate and pain of a wounded cub finding itself alone in the face of an uncaring and cruel world. The scream died away; the chakra remained in his hand, and as he forced himself to focus through the streaming tears he sharpened that chakra into a burning knife, and began gouging his flesh over his own heart, writing..._

_End Flashback_

Naruto looked at his fingernail; the spark of blazing chakra there. He'd refined his technique over the last weeks, his writing improving even upside down. The scar he left was clean and sharp. "I will protect them all, I promise you, Iruka sensei..." He murmured as he began writing. He no longer flinched at the touch of the burning; it felt comfortable, understandable. A reminder and a constant lesson to himself.

Trust brings pain.

--

"So, what's he like?" Asked Asuma.

"Yes, tell us, Kakashi." Chimed in Kurenai. "What is it like having him on team seven? How do the others get along with him?"

Kakashi put away his book and looked over at the other two in the jonin lounge. "Much like any other genin, I suppose. He's quiet, much of the time, although occasionally prone to outbursts of silliness... although nothing like he used to be. He's very private. He cares about others- sometimes too much for his own good, almost to the point of martyrdom or self destructiveness. He worries me."

"Why?" Asked Asuma.

Kakashi frowned a little; it was apparent even through his mask. "In all the time I've been with him on team seven, I've never seen him let his guard down, except when he was completely unconscious- and I'm not certain it was down even then. He shows some definite signs of combat fatigue. When I watch him I'm never certain if I'm looking at the real Naruto or a clone while he hides somewhere nearby." He gave a sigh of frustration. "He won't open up to anyone except at the strangest of times, and even then, only when he's angry. But then again, I don't think I've ever seen him happy, or content. At most, I've seen him show a flicker of pride in his work, a momentary satisfaction at his results, but never more."

Kurenai frowned thoughtfully. "Get him laid."

Kakashi blinked his visible eye, while Asuma just stared at her as though she'd told them to get a teenager laid. _Holy shit, I think she DID say that._ Asuma thought numbly.

"...What?" Said Kakashi after the initial shock wore off. "Um... That's the last thing I would have ever expected to hear from you."

"Sex is actually a pretty good therapy for relieving tension." Kurenai answered. "Not that it doesn't come with its own host of dangers and problems if not approached carefully. Like the old joke, Sex is a trap- People cause stress, sex relieves stress. Unfortunately, sex also causes people." The three jonin laughed a little. "Kunoichi are trained to use sex for a multitude of purposes- infiltration, distraction, gathering information. It's an effective tool in a kunoichi arsenal, but it also makes for a good means by which to get away from it all, even momentarily. NOT," Kurenai said with a hint of steel in her voice, "That I am interested in any one night stands with coworkers, so get that thought out of your heads." Kakashi and Asuma snorted and leaned back a little. Kurenai shook her head. "Honestly- it's that sort of response that lets us use sex against you as a weapon. Even so... I think I might know of someone who would be perfect for this particular task... IF I presented it to her as a mission."

Asuma raised an eyebrow. "Really? Who?"

Kurenai tilted her head to the side. "Hyuuga Hinata."

Kakashi and Asuma both stared at her in disbelief, before Kakashi said, "Hinata? You're crazy. The girl's a mouse. No confidence whatsoever- she'd never make it believable."

Kurenai smiled a mysterious little smile. "I beg to differ- Hinata is shy, true, and her self esteem is a bit lacking. But that would give them both a touchpoint on which to make a connection- and I know for a fact that she could make it believable, because in her case, she has a massive crush on the boy. She has for years. And I've found that she is very focused on a mission when given one- if anything could get her past her inherent shyness, I'd say it'd be that." Kurenai gave a little shrug. "Back to the original topic, Kakashi- You never did say how he gets along with his team mates."

The two men, a little jarred at the sudden change in topic, completely missed the fact that it gave Kurenai the last word. Kakashi shook his head as though to clear it, before saying, "Ah... Well, that's the strangest part, really. "To both of his team mates, Naruto is an inspiration. I read your dosier on Shikamaru, and Naruto's influence has been nothing short of remarkable. Just mentioning Naruto to him makes him train harder than you would have believed possible for a Nara to push themselves. These last two weeks, he's motivated himself, training without prompting or even warning in some cases- Half the time I check to see if he got himself a bowl cut and started painting on his eyebrows." The other two snickered at this reference at Gai-sensei's expense. Gai was undeniably powerful- possibly the most powerful jonin in Konoha after Hokage sama- but his training methods and motivational attitude were rather... odd.

"Doesn't even sound like Shikamaru at all." Responded Asuma after a moment.

Kurenai waved him down. "What about the Uchiha boy?" She asked.

Kakashi displayed his poker face- a sign not lost on his two comrades. "His response is... Erratic. One day he'll seem to resent Naruto's strength, and the next he's almost mothering him, and failing miserably at hiding it. Sasuke..." Kakashi paused a moment, trying to find a way to articulate his impressions. "As strange as it seems, Sasuke appears to be trying his hardest, despite the jealousy, to ease Naruto's pain... And he seems to be resolving his own pain and bitterness in the process. In attempting to heal Naruto, he's working his own way back to recovery from the massacre."

"A case of the patient healing the healer..." Kurenai murmured thoughtfully. She opened her mouth to say something else, but whatever it was remained unsaid, as the room shuddered around them, as though the whole of Konoha had been shaken to its very foundations. A loud booming noise echoed from outside a splitsecond later.

"What the hell?" Said Asuma, brushing some stucco from the ceiling off his head.

"Kakashi!" Came a shout from the hallway.

The mirror nin felt a terrible sinking sensation, a feeling that he knew what was coming... not necessarily in its details, but definitely the essense of it. _I do not believe in premonition, I do not believe in premonition,_ He chanted to himself.

"Kakashi!" Burst in Jotah, a chuunin instructor from the academy. "Come quickly! Naruto is fighting another genin!"

Kakashi's heart froze in his chest. _I don't believe in premonition, _He thought to himself. _But apparently, it believes in me._

End Chapter Seven

-AN: Alright. I know this chapter is going to irritate at least a few people out there, not the least for the almost incessant politicking and talking going on. But when the scene with Danzou and an unnamed subordinate occured to me, I left it as it was, pretty much unchanged from its original concept, except for giving his subordinate a name.

Several people made mention in PM and review that Naruto is seemingly flipflopping. I'd like to clear up a misconception on that- it's not that he's flipflopping, he's just torn and fucked up in the head. In the one regard, Naruto is highly paranoid. He trusts nobody, absolutely nobody, for reasons already discussed above. On the other hand, now more than ever he still maintains a deep need for approval, which in his mind has been converted to a need to protect those around him. He isn't even particularly discriminating- so long as the person isn't an active enemy, he'll still move to protect them- even to the point of being semi-suicidal. Which, given how long he's been despised and disliked, he is at least subconsciously convinced that he has no real worth- this goes all the way back to the prologue, when he left Konoha for six weeks. And even though he has found a source of strength, has become a formidable individual in his own right, his ghosts are still hard to dispel. Were he someone in our own world he would only recover after years of intensive, daily therapy- and even then, he'd never quite reach full function in society. But all shinobi have their mental issues, and it is more or less accepted in Naruto's world, which means that his quirks are being brushed off as the traits of a talented shinobi, which in turn means the damage is left alone to compound itself with little chance of anyone giving him any significant degree of help. Granted, both the Hokage and Kakashi recognize there is a problem- they are both extremely intelligent and insightful- but even they don't fully recognize the depth of the problem and immediately take him off active duty until his broken ego can be given a little time to recover.

An a separate topic, I'm rapidly approaching the end of my written rough draft, mostly because I type a BOATLOAD faster than I write by hand- yes, everything in this story was actually handwritten out in a little black composition notebook that I'm even now looking at with fondness. I've emptied a pen on this notebook, and am switching to a second, five subject notebook whose first fifty pages are actually notes and references I've gathered on this story, both canon facts and little bits I've added in that are unique to this little tale of mine. I've got a rough outline of the events heading all the way up to when Gaara is kidnapped by Akatsuki in canon- an event that likely isn't going to happen here, because by then the differences between canon and this story are going to be so drastic as to bear virtually no resemblance. And I think you will all like the Chuunin exams- I have one of my most severe twists waiting for you all there, but this all comes dangerously close to being a spoiler, so I will stop at that. But I guess this paragraph is kind of a warning that chapters won't be coming out QUITE so quickly as before. Hopefully no more than three to four days will go between chapters, but that is dependant on work schedule and so forth.

Anyhow, that's about it- Please review, pass along ideas, mention issues and questions, and thanks again for reading! See you soon!

-AXENOME


	9. Chapter Eight: Troubled Waters

Previously: The Sandaime Hokage debriefs Kakashi after their mission to Nami no Kuni, where Kakashi learns that the records of the mission have been sealed. Haku is caught spying on Naruto, Danzou reveals the depths of his frustration to his senior aide, and three team captains discuss Naruto and his integration into team seven. But as the jounin seem to be approaching some kind of resolution for some of Naruto's more serious problems, an explosion shakes the room, and Kakashi's fear are confirmed as a chuunin instructor rushes in to warn him that Naruto is fighting with another genin...

Chapter Eight: Lighting Oil on Troubled Waters

Naruto allowed several of his bunshin to dissipate under the assault of the strange, sketched beasts. His hands and clothes were spattered with ink; his breathing was becoming harsh and ragged. And that kid attacking him still stood there with the same, empty smile that he'd had the moment Naruto first saw him.

"Why are you attacking me?" Naruto demanded.

"Attacking you?" Said the strange boy. "You mistake me. I'm only testing you."

Naruto created several more Kage Bunshin, one of which met a cluster of inky beasts and detonated, spraying ink and smoke everywhere. Naruto had learned since the first one that detonating it in air caused much less damage to the surroundings, since the shock wave wasn't propagating itself along the ground. But that cluster of inky creatures was a feint, Naruto was to discover, for the nest attack: A storm of sketched kunai flew out in a cloud. Naruto threw a bunshin into the path of several that would have struck a bystander cringing in the street; the bunshin came apart in a puff of smoke and the kunai fell to the ground to splatter on the pavement.

**THAT WAS INTENTIONAL.** Noted the Kyuubii. **HE'S ATTEMPTING TO CAUSE COLLATERAL DAMAGE.**

_Why? _Naruto asked in the confines of his mind, his fist spraying a stylized leopard across a storefront.

**AT A GUESS? BECAUSE ANY COLLATERAL DAMAGE IN ANY FIGHT YOU ARE INVOLVED IN WILL INEVITABLY REFLECT ON YOU.**

_What? Wait, why? It's his weapons doing all the damage!_

There was a moment of silence while Naruto fought, a chakra coated fist entangling another drawn lion and slamming it into the ground. Finally, Kyuubii replied, **BECAUSE OF ME.**

Naruto felt a moment of shock- and he wasn't sure if it was because he hadn't realized that immediately, or because he seemed to hear a faint note of guilt in the mental voice of the Kyuubii no Kitsune.

_Kyuubii-san?_

--

Sai felt a hint of satisfaction as he watched Naruto's frustration mount. The jinchuuriki's actions were becoming wilder, sloppier, more wasteful.

_A little longer, _Sai thought to himself, _then allow him in close, kawarimi with a bystander, and that would be it. Mission accomplished._

_Just a little more provocation._

"I was told you were strong, but it seems as though my sources were mistaken." Sai said out loud. "With such weak attacks, I have trouble believing you are actually a guy. Do you even have a dick, or did a tootsie roll slip from your waistband into your panties?"

Naruto froze stock still at this statement, as the ink creatures stepped back. Sai chose to twist the knife a little farther. "Or maybe it didn't just slip in there? Maybe it was the only thing you could find that didn't go completely limp at the thought of finding its way into your pants?"

Naruto went completely white at this, and a red glow creeped into his eyes, but strangely enough it was neither he nor Sai that threw the next blow.

Haku swept in like an avenging angel from the shadows. Within a split second, Sai's paralyzed hands had dropped his brush and scroll; moments later more senbon stole the strength from his legs as well. Unable to support himself, Sai fell forward onto elbows growing numb from further senbon penetrating his shoulders. A sudden halt of all sensation from below his neck accompanied two pinching pains just below his neck, and the roofing tiles rushed up to slap his face.

The tiles dug into his left temple, his cheek, his jaw. The position he'd collapsed into was awkward and uncomfortable, but he couldn't move anything from the neck down. This all became academic in a moment, save for the paralysis, as Sai felt a hand roughly bind itself in his hair, lifting him up, while a second hand- tense but rock steady- held a senbon angled inwards just to the right of his nose, seemingly only a milimeter from his eye. Sai blinked, and felt the presence of the needle with his eyelash.

--

Naruto's anger at the stranger's insults evaporated into surprise as he watched Haku strike from ambush, picking the other genin's defenses open and subduing him utterly in a flurry of aggression that was awe inspiring in its ferocity. Haku held a senbon in place for the killing blow.

"Haku, wait!" Naruto called out. "Keep him alive so that we can take him to the Hokage! He'll want to know why this guy started a fight in the middle of the village like that and endangered all these people."

Naruto looked around and noticed that all but two others had already deserted the street, both of them looking at him with an unreadable expression. "Um," He added, "Well, the buildings, too."

Haku was tense for a moment longer, before he pulled the needle back and roughly shoved the mystery nin's face back into the roof tiles.

Naruto leapt up to the roof to join Haku. "Uh, not that I'm complaining or anything, but... what was all that about?" Naruto asked as he reached Haku, who was busy binding the stranger with the senbon in his neck still in place.

Haku blinked and looked away shyly. "He... insulted you."

Naruto blinked in surprise as well. _That was weird. _He thought to himself. _Hey, Kyuubii- do you understand what that was all about?_

**HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO UNDERSTAND ANOTHER MORTAL? I'VE BEEN ATTACHED TO YOU FOR FOURTEEN YEARS AND I STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND YOU.**

Several ANBU chose that moment to arrive, accompanied by Kakashi. "Uzumaki Naruto, Haku. We have orders to bring you to the Tower for questioning. Until this situation is resolved, we will have to place you all under arrest."

Naruto shot a look at Kakashi, whose visible eye was unreadable. _Figures. _He thought to himself. Biting back an angry reply, he held his wrists out in resignation. "Well, let's not keep the Hokage waiting on little old troublemaker me."

--

"Hokage-sama." Said the kneeling ANBU in the Tiger mask. "The disturbance has been quelled."

Sarutobi stood staring out of his window. _As I am already aware of from my scrying device... but you don't need to be aware of that. _"Then your report, if you please."

"When we arrived at the scene, we found Uzumaki in combat with a ninja with whom we were not familiar. Naruto had the assistance of the recently immigrant ninja Mamochi Haku." The ANBU paused.

_The moment of truth. _Thought the Hokage. _What will you choose?_

"The immigrant subdued the boy. whom both he and Uzumaki claimed was the aggressor. We have little evidence of this..." The ANBU took a deep breath. "...But an eyewitness corroborated."

"And who is the witness?" Asked the Sandaime, slightly surprised at the ANBU's choice. _I really didn't expect you to be honest, _he thought to himself. _You've been trying to get into ROOT for years._

"A bystander- one of those who until now has been vociferously against Naruto's continued existance." Replied the ANBU.

_This morning is full of surprises, _Sarutobi pondered. _Time to test a theory. _"So when did you finalize your decision to stay faithful to the ideals of Konoha?"

"S-sir?" Stammered the masked ninja.

"I know you released the aggressor in this to ROOT." The Hokage said. "And I also know that your purpose in this action was to build trust with Danzou. You are waiting for an invitation. I imagine that you have decided that you would be a useful double agent for me against his machinations... but... I do wonder, though- Why?"

The ANBU relaxed slightly. "Morishito Takeshi."

The Hokage cocked an eyebrow inquisitively. "Hmm?"

"He is the eye witness." Explained the ANBU. "He has called for fourteen years for the death of the Uzumaki boy, to be certain that the fox never broke free."

"Hn. And what precipitated his change of heart?"

"According to him, the Uzumaki boy took several kunai for him, possibly saved his life, from the reckless attacks of the other. He claimed that the other was trying to maximize property damage and injuries, but that Naruto fought harder to protect bystanders than he did to defeat his opponent." Answered the ANBU.

"I see." And in a fashion, the Sandaime did. _Yet another case of a person's preconceptions regarding Naruto being shattered again by exposure to the boy's inherent decency. He does have that effect on people. _"And because this boy was willing to put himself in harm's way to protect an innocent, you chose to tell the truth?"

The ANBU began sweating again, but forged ahead anyways. "No sir. Innocents get wounded and killed in the world of a shinobi. That is life. But Morishito chose to side with Naruto. He shamed his neighbors who clammored against him for endangering them with this fight, told them that he and they all owed their lives and safety to Naruto's intervention. His neighbors were too proud to change, but he was willing to revise an opinion he'd had for fourteen years in the face of evidence to the contrary. When I understood this, I asked myself, can I show less fortitude and adaptability than a civilian, a simple merchant?"

Sarutobi nodded. "I would like you to continue in your pursuit to join ROOT. You will receive a three day suspension from active duty, pending investigation as to how you managed to lose a prisoner en route to incarceration. This should aid you in your cover."

The ANBU nodded. It was, after all, standard procedure. "Hai, Hokage sama."

"What of the other two?" Sarutobi asked. "Haku, and Naruto?"

"Hamu is in an interrogation booth." The ANBU answered slowly.

"And Naruto?" Prompted the Hokage after a moment.

The ANBU sighed. "He is in the Meat Locker."

--

Naruto was bored.

In all honesty, this wasn't a terribly unusual thing. Naruto had spent a great deal of his life alone, with little to do, and thus, much of his life had been spent in one stage of boredom or another. When he was younger, this would have presaged a prank, the scope of the prank largely dependant on the depth of his boredom. In lesser stages of boredom, he would play with one of his scavenged board games, inventing some new rules and playing against a few of his clones.

Here, that was problematic for a number of reasons.

First, there were no tables here. Not that a table would fit in this cramped five foot by six foot cell.

Second, he couldn't make any clones- couldn't do ANYTHING that required him to shape chakra, as the cell was designed to absorb any chakra a person drew on. Should a person try desperately enough, it was a creative means by which to commit suicide through chakra exhaustion.

This was a cell for dangerous prisoners- the expendable ones who were more trouble to keep alive than they were worth. In a fashion, it was rather flattering- this is the sort of cell you kept an S class prisoner in. It had an official title- Maximum Security Chakra Restrain Cell- but it's unofficial title was based off of what they usually found when they came back to see if the prisoner could be interrogated: The Meat Locker.

Naruto had never personally been in a Meat Locker before, but he'd heard of it. Several of the adults as he was growing up had talked in almost private tones around him about it, saying and hoping he'd end up in one someday, tossed in and forgotten. He was pretty sure they'd meant for him to hear it, too; for all he knew, the ANBU who'd brought him here had been one of them.

Naruto wasn't especially concerned. He knew that as long as he didn't shape any chakra, the room wouldn't react to it. And if push came to shove, he was also pretty certain that in a contest between the rate of drain from the room and the rate of supply from the Kyuubii, that even sealed in a human host the Kyuubii would win. And with a grim chuckle, Naruto knew that there was no mortal force in the world that could deal with Kyuubii unleashed- a last resort, of course, but if the room DID end up killing him in an escape attempt, Naruto had made a promise. And regardless of the past, Naruto ALWAYS kept his promises.

--

Haku was sitting still.

This was no departure from the norm; as far as the two observers could tell hed been in the same position for the last four hours. Were it not for the fact that there were no ways out of the booth but the way he'd gone in, and that the room suppressed illusions, they would have suspected a genjutsu.

The rear door to the observation room opend; in walked Kakashi and the Sandaime Hokage. "Has he been questioned yet?" Asked the Sandaime.

"No sir." replied Tojji, Officer of the Day. "We've been waiting for the ANBU who picked him up to return."

"He won't be returning today- he's on suspension." Stated the Hokage. "Being that he permitted a prisoner to escape, however inadvertantly, he is off duty pending investigation for subversion."

"Subversion?" Asked the second guard, a chuunin by the name of Ryosuke. "By whom, sir?"

A faint quirk of a smile tugged at the corner of Sarutobi's mouth. "We are uncertain- thus I have ordered an investigation." The Hokage turned back to the observation window. "I am ordering you to make an investigation of your own. You will receive a Black Ops ANBU lliason to assist you in this endeavor. In the meanwhile, Haku is to be released to my custody, as I will interogate him myself, although I'm fairly certain of what I will learn, as we have independant civilian confirmation of his and Naruto's version of events earlier."

"But sir!" Said Ryosuke. "Mamochi Haku's claim is ludicrous- he claimed that the other ninja was the aggressor, that the Kyuubii child was defending civilians! That's obviously nonsense, sir, we can't just-"

"Ryosuke!" Barked Toji. "Stow it!"

Ryosuke looked at his superior in disbelief. "But sir, the kyuubii is a mons-"

Toji slapped Ryosuke. "You were told to shut up, Officer!" He snapped. "Two demerits, logged and noted. Acknowledge!"

Ryosuke snapped to attention, the resentment still in his eyes, but his voice was drill ground perfect. "Officer Ryosuke, received two demerits, insubbordination, SIR!"

"To continue, that boy is NOT the Kyuubii, just the unlucky kid the damned thing is locked in." Toji went on. "You will NOT spread rumor or slander to the contrary, as I have personal evidence that he is an exemplary Ninja of Konoha, despite the rumors and hostility the village has given him!"

"Sir, permission to speak freely!" Barked Ryosuke, still staring straight forward.

"Go on." Said Toji with narrow set eyes.

"The Kyuubii murdered my parents!" Ryosuke said forcefully.

The senior ninja nodded. "The kyuubii also killed my father and older sister." He replied gently. "And the Kyuubii is locked away where it can never harm anyone. Whereas Uzumaki Naruto personally protected and saved the lives of my cousin, her father, and her son, as well as killed the Nuke nin Mamochi Zabuza who was hired to kill my uncle."

"Details of that mission are sealed, by order of the village council." Kakashi said. "Being that you were unaware of the stricture, I imagine the Sandaime Hokage will forgive you this... indiscretion, so long as this information does not leave this room." He looked to the Hokage for confirmation, who nodded once.

"Toji looked puzzled. "But... why?"

"I think the more important aspect of all of this is that your family needs to be informed that this information is to be spoken to no-one, as the record of this mission is S-rank classified information." Said Kakashi. He turned his attention back to the Hokage. "You realize, Hokage-sama, that technically, we're obligated to inform the council of this conversation. As a matter of village security."

Toji's eyes widened at the implications of this. But before he could say anything, the Hokage replied blandly, "Which conversation was that again? I've been having trouble with my memory in my old age."

Kakashi gave Sarutobi a measured look for several seconds, while the others remained silent. "I speak as devil's advocate here, Hokage Sama, but you realize that were those words to have left the mouth of any other citizen of Konoha, civilian or ninja alike, it would be treason..." Kakashi trailed off.

"And even the Hokage is not above the law." Sarutobi finished for him. "Kakashi, I remember your father well."

Kakashi grimaced; the Sandaime knew that even now, the White Fang was a sore subject with him. "Is there a point to this?" He asked acidly.

Prior topics forgotten, Toji and Ryosuke stood rivetted by the scene unfolding in front of them.

Sarutobi sontinued, "He was a good man. I always felt that Danzou dealt with him too harshly. Sakumo was a brave warrior who made a difficult decison based on too little information. Ultimately it was the wrong one, and many died who would not have had he completed the mission as he was ordered. We were at war; death is a part of war and his choice was ultimately to cost Konoha dearly. But Danzou's public humiliation of the White Fang did nothing save to cause him to eventually commit Seppuku, and cost us another of our finest warriors. Like so much before, Danzou's quest for military supremacy of Konoha weakened the village further."

"What I say now is not to leave this room." Sarutobi said in a stronger tone of voice. "This is especially important for you, Kakashi, to know, as Naruto is under your command. Konohagakure was originally in possession of all nine of the Biijuu." The others stood staring in disbelief. "They were imprisoned in ancient devices called Philospher's Stones. And they were the reason for both of the Shinobi wars.

"Originally they were used as a power source- how the ancients imprisoned them we may never learn. But their use is what enabled the first of the Kekkei genkai. It was the theft of the Sanbii by Mizugakure that sparked the first war; as we investigated this theft Amegakure and Sunagakure launched a joint attack in order to get the others. We were only partially successful in defending- in the end, we retained Yonbii, Rokubii, and Kyuubii. Even so, Konoha remained more or less on top for ours were the strongest Kekkei Genkai, and ours the best ninja.

"The dynamic was altered drastically when Sunagakure broke the stone containing Shukaku. Sunagakure has always chosen quality over quantity, a tradition that continues today (although not for the originally envisioned reasons). They sought to use the Ichibii to create the ultimate warrior, and after a fashion, they succeeded. We of the other villages attempted to create our own jinchuuriki, as they have come to be called, but we were unaware of the side effects- the spirits, angered by the disturbance of their slumber, then forcably and painfully sealed into human hosts, naturally rebelled. They drove their hosts mad, and rampaged, killing indiscriminately. Worse still, if the jinchuuriki were killed, this released the biijuu at their fullest power. Eventually, after the second Shinobi war, the Biijuu which had been subdued in their hosts were distributed out to the other villages to balance power amongst the shinobi nations. But the power of the Philosopher's stones was lost. All that remained of them was the enraged spirits that had been imprisoned, and the usual method was to inflict a permanent slumber on them- to keep them docile and pacified until their life was over- and prepare a ritual to hold the demon for its next lifetime.

"Something went wrong, though, the last time. The host died unexpectedly, and Kyuubii broke free. There were few alive who knew the nature of the Biijuu in Konoha- even those who lived through the wars knew little about the purpose behind them. So when the Kyuubii broke free, the Yondaime was in a terrible position- they had no means by which to restrain the Kyuubii to implant into another human- not that one had been prepared for the containment. But the Yondaime was a master of seals, and somehow devised a new one- one that would rather than merely enclose the beast within a human, would completely contain it. Untested, the usage of the seal is what killed the Yondaime. But Naruto became the first jinchuuriki to contain the beast that never went berserk or insane. Somehow, though, the seal permitted the demon's chakra to flow through him, and Naruto- little orphaned Uzumaki Naruto- has somehow found a means by which to completely control the Kyuubii's power. Almost as though he has found a means by which to calm the creature and appeased its anger." Sarutobi reached over and grabbed a glass from the table, poured water into it. Sipping at it, he murmured, "Much better." Louder he continued, "Naruto was special. Unfortunately, he was also a catalyst for several things that have come to pass since. Most notably, Sunagakure attempted to repeat the feat managed by the Yondaime Hokage. Admittedly, their seal crafters are incredibly skilled- but their seal was not so effective as that placed on Naruto. Or simply perhaps Naruto is a more exceptional person than any could have guessed. None the less, their vessel was not so stable as Naruto.

"We have had several reports of one called Subaku no Gaara. He is a genin this year, and from what reports have come, he is a deadly shinobi. He will be participating in the Chuunin exams next month, by all expectations. And this places the council in a very tight position. On the one hand, they wish to conceal the depths of Naruto's skill and power. On the other hand, they have little choice but to encourage him to participate in the chuunin exams this year, if for no other reason than to avoid losing face to Sunagakure. Financially speaking, we are dependant on our reputation amongst the shinobi villages, and should Subaku no Gaara sweep the chuunin exams, much of our revenue would be impacted. And allies or no, Sunagakure is still competition for our clients."

The others waited as Sarutobi finished. Even Kakashi had shaken off his sulk. "Well..." He began. "That is even more than you told me during my original briefing for team seven. But this comes back to our- or rather, your- biggest problem: Danzou."

"Danzou." Sarutobi agreed, looking at though he'd unexpectedly bitten into a lemon. "I have no doubt that this attack was staged by ANBU Root. And I have known for several months now that Danzou is head of that organization- and that even before it was eradicated- or driven into hiding- he was probably its leader even then. I've not been able to penetrate his offices- yet- but I've seen enough to say that Root is strong, stronger than even it is aware of, and still gaining strength. But his single minded obsession with Konoha's military might is wasting the resources of both Root and Konoha- and thereby weakening Konoha itself. Again. And he is doing so now from the confines of the law- doing so in such a way that I have no legal way to counter him. This attack not withstanding, I have no proof that can be brought before the council, and attempting to will only tip my hand to Danzou about how much I know. He continues to erode the balance, consolidates his power, and picks away at our support. Before too much longer he will control most of ANBU, and shortly after that, Konoha will be his, he'll start his beloved war again, and the village will fall."

"There is always the other option." Said Toji. "You know that Danzou is ultimately working to directly harm the village."

"It isn't that simple." Replied the Hokage. "Konoha is ruled by laws. We must abide by those laws or else we have nothing."

Ryosuke finally spoke up. "Um... sir... the laws apply only to..." He stopped, shutting his mouth.

Sarutobi looked at the chuunin carefully. _The laws apply only to shinobi of Konoha... That's what he was going to say. _Out loud, Sarutobi shook his head. "None of this matters right now. This information that you have all heard is classified S-rank secret, to be divulged to no-one but the Hokage, whether myself, or my successor." He nodded towards the window, where Haku was visible, still motionless. "Release him. I have decided that he needs no real interrogation. Things will be hard enough ahead wihtout placing more stress on him now."

The two shinobi officers nodded, opening the door and informing Haku of his release. Sarutobi's fingers flashed. -Did Haku hear?-

Kakashi nodded slightly, his own fingers flickering. -Certain. Eavesdrop this room since before we arrive.-

Sarutobi flicked his eyes at the officers; they were waiting for Haku to walk over. -Ice on window frame?-

Kakashi nodded. The officers were bringing Haku into the room. "Ready to go?" Asked Kakashi with smiling eye.

Haku cleared his throat and nodded. _I had no idea you were such a person, Naruto sama..._ he thought to himself. _I won't let anything happen to you, I swear it on my life... I will serve you always._

_--_

"Uzumaki. You're free to go."

Naruto looked up from his seat on the hard bench. "Just like that?" The officer nodded. Naruto swore he saw a look of respect in the man's eyes. Unnerved, Naruto asked, "W-what?"

The officer looked at him a moment, checked the hallway in both directions- Naruto tensed himself for a fight. Even if his chakra would be hampered by the room he swore he wouldn't go down easy. But the officer smiled at him gently and said, "No need to worry. What I have to say is a breach of security... but... I wanted to thank you."

"For- for what?" Naruto asked, completely off guard.

**LOOK AT HIM, KID.** The Kyuubii said within the confines of his mind. **YOU'VE SEEN SOMEONE WHO LOOKS A GOOD BIT LIKE HIM.**

Naruto blinked at him in confusion. The officer said, "I thank you... for saving the lives of my cousin, her son, and my uncle, when you went to Nami no Kuni. And if ever the Koemi clan may be of service to you or yours, give them this." He pulled a small token out of his pocket and handed it to Naruto. The boy realized with a start that the device on it was that of the most prestigious weapon makers in Konoha. He looked back up at the officer. "We aren't a famous ninja clan- I was lucky to have the skill and drive to attain what rank I have. But we are the ones who make weapons for the elite, and you have earned our gratitude. And we repay our debts."

Naruto felt a strange feeling well up inside him, something he couldn't identify. "But... won't you get in trouble?" He whispered.

"If I do," the officer said, "It would be only a fraction of what I owe you for saving my cousin. Come on, kid. My name's Toji. Let's get you signed out of here- I'm sure you want to be some place more comfortable than this."

Wordlessly, Naruto followed him out of the room.

End Chapter Eight

-AN: Well, a couple things to mention. First off, I'd like to thank everyone who has PM'd me about the story. I've been enjoying writing this and the story is flowing beautifully. But what I warned you about with the last update has finally come to pass- I have reached the end of my written story. Not the outline, so don't worry, the story will continue, but this is the last fast update I have for you. And if the chapters end up being as long as they have been, it may end up being as much as a week between updates. I write fast but I don't want to risk ruining the muse by breaking habit, so everything is going to be handwritten first before I put it on computer screen.

Historically speaking, Kunoichi were actively trained to use sex as a tool. I'm speaking of the real ninja clans of Japan, here- all the way back to their roots. They were smart enough to recognize an effective tool when they saw one, and there isn't much as effective as getting a man in an important position to lower his guard than through sex. Thus, yes, even young kunoichi are going to be at least briefed on the topic. If not trained on it. And I highly doubt that there is any force on earth that will make me write a lemon involving a preteen and a young teen, just... ew. No thank you. Not my style. I'm dealing with realistic issues in their world but do NOT expect me to illustrate them. I might add in a lemon about older characters like (deleted for spoiler info) and (Also deleted for spoiler info) but the underage thing just creeps me the hell out. _**Maybe**_ the main characters will feature in some in the shippuuden arc of the story but not any earlier, and nobody under eighteen. So please don't ask me to write pedo.

Kyuubii as a character: I know I haven't used him a great deal... but the times and places he chooses to speak are entirely his own. Both in my story and in Naruto's world. But when he does speak, it's usually something important- and don't assume that the only times he speaks is the times I've recorded. Kyuubii develops as a character as well- but his evolution as an individual is much slower than that of main characters, simply because Kyuubii has been alive far longer than any of them.

Kurenai... Well, I'm portraying her as a woman rather than as a stereotype. A stereotype has the same, canned, predictable response each time. A woman cannot be predicted from day to day or even from hour to hour. For those of you who find incredible my portrayal of the surprises she may come up with, all I can say is: Try living with a woman, REALLY LIVING with her, instead of in the same house with her. Speak with her. Ask her things. Answer her questions. Respond to her presence in your house. Respond to her presence in your life. This doesn't just go for wives and girlfriends. This goes for mothers, daughters, sisters. Women are incredibly complex and most of them are fairly tolerant and forgiving... of men, that is. They tend to be less so of other women, but that I think is because they think another woman should know better. Women are durable and patient and often find we of the weaker sex (Meaning men) to be both aggravating and adorable, often at the same time. Women are also more practical, more pragmatic, and less squeamish about doing whatever it takes to get the job done. Whatever the job may be. So the next time said female bursts into tears for no discernable reason, don't EVEN take this as a sign of weakness- a woman's sensitivity to- or at least, awareness of- emotions is higher than that of men, making them more intuitive and often wiser about situations then men are. But often we, in our shallow, simple natures, don't understand what they are thinking or feeling, so we mistake them by comparing them to our own motives and abilities. Never a wise thing. For those of you out there who understand, congratulations to you- you've gone a step closer to being a better human being. To those of you who don't get it still, don't worry- in time you will. And for all of you, remember- a woman bursting into tears over something isn't ALWAYS a bad thing- and a woman smiling at you isn't always a GOOD one. Make sure you know the ENTIRE situation and ask her opinion before jumping to conclusions. You will live longer.

Thanks for reading. Ja mata.

-AXENOME


	10. Chapter Nine: Rendezvous

Chapter Nine: Rendezvous.

"Wait, we're doing what?" Asked Shikamaru in a voice tinged with panic.

"That note of fear in your voice tells me you already understand the mission, so there really isn't any need for me to repeat myself, is there?" Replied Anko cheerily. "Since Kakashi was tasked for an S-rank mission, leadership of this mission falls to me- although my instructions are very clear, that I am not to interfere except in the case of direct jeapordy of the mission itself or to prevent the loss of one of our three operatives." She paused for a moment. "I have to admit, it's almost unheard of to give a genin team a B-ranked mission... Especially first year rookies... So somewhere along the line you three must have really impressed someone."

Shikamaru and Sasuke shot a tired look at Naruto that bordered on outright resentment. Naruto, meanwhile, was doing his best to pretend that he didn't know Anko from before. _You like to play those games? Well, I love to play games. In fact, I am a MASTER of playing games. _Out loud she said, "So you're the powerhouse of this little group, Naruto chan?"

Naruto's expression was hard to read. "They're every bit as good as I am. In fact, as far as their raw skills go, they're both a lot better than me. I'm more like an explosive note- not much use unless you want something blown up, burned down, or broken. Those two are like rope and kunai- good for killing and so much more besides."

Anko nodded thoughtfully. "Interesting... you make light of your own skills. At least you aren't too likely to get yourself in over your head trying to prove something. That's good- cocky little brats like that don't tend to live long in our world. And think of all that precious, delcious blood going to waste when they go... such a tragic waste..."

"Why us?" Sasuke asked, chin resting on folded hands.

"When the village finds a good combination of team mates, they like to explore the combined talents the team has to offer, exploit their synergies., test them out on what talents they seem to excel in. For instance, Team Eight- You'll be running into them in a few days- we've discovered has a good synnergy in the art of tracking. Between the three of them, Shino, Hinata, and Kiba, they miss very little of the details in any given scene, including probable direction, any cast offs, impressions left on surroundings... all of it. As a result, Konoha has decided to attempt to slot them into an investigative and pursuit role, as a Tracking team. We'll rendezvous with them en route to our quarry- they're the ones who tracked our target to his present location and will be providing a support role in your subsequent hunt, but you three will be the main firepower in this little imbroglio."

"Okay... so why are we given the kill command?" Sasuke asked, although he seemed to already have an idea of the answer.

"Simple." Said Anko with a smile. "Like I said, somewhere on that last mission nobody is allowed to look up, you three impressed someone. You three are being tried out as an elite kill team."

"What about his subordinates?" Naruto asked. "Any instructions regarding them?"

"Whatever is necessary. No targets are considered unexpendable. This is a search and destroy mission- most basic of the assassination missions we have available. The target is in an isolated location with no civilian presence nearby to speak of, so callateral damage isn't an issue."

The three genin made no further commentary, and Anko began eyeing them in a frank and rather... discomforting fashion. After a moment, she began to- Well, walk didn't quite cover it; in fact, the closest word any of them could attach to this motion was slink- towards them, first orbitting Sasuke, then Shikamaru, and finally Naruto, before walking a short distance past them. After a second, she turned her head to look at them over her shoulder, and gave a short chuckle. "This is why I've always said every team of genin should include at least one kunoichi... Young boys like you are too easy to distract, otherwise." _Her eyes are... distracting_, Naruto noted absently. _You could watch her move for hours._ His reaction was a little stronger than the other two; primarily because he was older. Even so, his poker face remained intact, and he locked gazes with her solidly, refusing to allow himself to look any lower than her eyes.

Anko took this as a kind of challenge. "Such beautiful young boys you are!" She commented, as she slid closer to him in almost a single sinuous motion. "A buffet line... Dark and brooding, cool and relaxed, and the blond dish... bright and mysterious at the same time." By this time she'd circled around him, resting her chin on his shoulder lightly. "Like master crafted blades, you can see at first glance... both beautiful, and deadly." She leaned slightly forward and bit Naruto's ear, then licked at the blood she'd drawn.

_Hmmm? _She thought to herself. _This blood has no taste to it..._

She ducked to the side before the whirring noise reached her ears as a massive sword swept overhead. Naruto stood behind himself, a monstrous sword held firmly in two hands as he looked at her with a cocked head. "It isn't nice to bite."

Anko smiled at him, her expression more genuine than the one which she'd begun their meeting with. "Ooo, how touchy you are! I LIKE that in a guy. All three of you are going to be a LOT of fun, I can see it now." She smiled, her eyes every bit as daring and lascivious as before, completely unintimidated by Naruto's display of aggression. All three boy's nervousness was palpable in the air, as she laughed at their discomfort. "We leave tomorrow morning at dawn- so don't be late." She locked dangerous and sultry eyes on Naruto. "It wouldn't be nice." She commented as she turned and walked away.

Naruto released the clone as Shikamaru stood up, hands in his pockets as he watched her leave. "She's crazy." He said.

Naruto shook his head. "No... she's a killer." _Just like me._

--

Team seven, complete with its new jonin, were well en route to the rendezvous point. Anko enjoyed the simple, rapid travel that shinobi teams practiced- It was easy, clean exercise, out in nature- and without even any of the monstrous creatures that inhabited her favorite haunt, the Forest of Death. All in all, it was very relaxing.

Right now, though, only part of her mind was enjoying the break from routine- the rest of it was busily considering the other members of team seven. Even cursory observation revealed that Shikamaru and Sasuke were both somewhat in Awe of Naruto- she wasn't sure if it was outright admiration, but there was a definite degree of respect. And yet, Sasuke hung a little close, as though he was ready to jump to Naruto's aid in word or action at a moment's notice.

As for Naruto, he was if anything harder to figure than before. He'd been close to the vest, quiet, and paranoid, although occasionally prone to absurd outbursts at the oddest times, before he would catch himself and go back to his quiet self after a few minutes. Now, while those traits were still present, he also seemed slightly distracted. Every so often, she would catch him holding something in his left hand, about the size and shape of a coin, looking as though he wasn't even seeing his surroundings, as he would rub his thumb along the face of it.

Anko decided to try and stir up some kind of a reaction from him. At the very least, it would be fun. "Hey, brat. Where's that sword you've been carrying around?"

"In storage." Naruto replied tersely. "I can get it if I need it."

"Ooh, I love it when you get testy. It's SO cute." Anko noticed the muscles in his jaw tense a bit. _Yes! Let's push a little more._ "Where did you get that ugly, clunky monstrosity, anyhow? You never had it before."

Naruto looked away. "It's a captured weapon."

"Captured from whom?" Anko pressed.

Naruto said nothing.

"Do I have to look it up?"

"That mission is classified S-rank secret." Shikamaru interjected. "I suppose you could get the information out of the Hokage, but if I were you I wouldn't really pursue it."

Anko narrowed her eyes in irritation. _What kind of genin passes up the chance to talk about a captured enemy weapon? Most jonin I know would at least look a little unhappy about not being able to talk about a trophy like that thing, even if they had to keep quiet about it. They act as if it were something shameful... _

There was no more conversation for the next two hours.

--

It took the team two days to reach the rendezvous point. Naruto scouted ahead with a Kage Bunshin that was henge'd as a breed of orange tree frog, a decision he came to after consulting with Anko as to a form that a predator would ignore, avoid, or not notice. They'd decided on this breed since, while they were uncommon, they were indigenous to the area, highly poisonous, and readily visible once you knew what to look for.

The area was well secured. Snares, tripwires, traps, and explosive notes were layered in various angles in complete circumference around the camp. As far as Naruto could tell, nothing larger than a rabbit could approach the site without setting any off.

Of course, at the moment Naruto was not larger than a rabbit. To the contrary, he was actually a good bit smaller.

From high in the tree branches, Naruto looked down at the four sleeping ninja in the secluded clearing. Scratch that; three ninja and a bunshin. The fourth one was up in the branches only about a tree or so away.

Naruto thought over the Genjutsu Anko had used to show him team eight's genin and their jonin instructor. The one in the tree looked to be Yuuhi Kurenai. Anko had also briefed him in the henge as to all of their known abilities and Kekkei Genkai of Hyuuga Hinata. Naruto knew about the Byakugan, of course- and he was grateful that she was not the one on watch, as his chakra would have been readily visible to her had she been using it. Sneaking up on a Byakugan user was decidedly risky.

_Of course,_ Naruto reflected to himself as the clone froze to the light touch of a kunai to the top of its amphibious head, _so is attempting to sneak up on a jonin._ The frog shaped clone carefully opened its mouth and revealed a small scroll gripped by its tongue. The frog bunshin released as Kurenai took the scroll.

_Seems the strike team is here._ Kurenai thought to herself. _Funny- I'd heard that Jiraiya Sannin was the only one to summon frogs anymore. Perhaps he's taken on a new apprentice amongst the chuunins. _

She carefully began disarming specific traps in a pattern dictated to the Jonin this week before she'd left the village.

--

The middle of the night is not the best time to arrange a quick briefing meeting between two separate combat teams in the midst of a mission. None-the-less, the eight shinobi made do fairly well.

After the briefing, as the two teams were winding down for the rest of the night, Kurenai gave Hinata a meaningful look. Her fingers formed words carefully out of the sight of the others.

-Do you remember your mission?-

-I do.- Came Hinata's reply. Her eyes flicked in the direction of Naruto as he was unrolling his bedroll.

-When do you intend fulfill?-

-Return trip. Must not distract from current mission, may endanger if perform now.-

They both nodded. Hinata's eyes drifted towards Naruto once more, before she gave a little sigh and closed her eyes.

Neither of them realized that Naruto was high above them in the trees, watching the group as well as the surrounding area.

_So in the end they even convinced a nice girl like you, _Naruto thought with a small stab of disappointment. _I suppose I should be flattered they chose a Hyuuga for this. And you're right, Hyuuga san, the mission must be completed first. _

Naruto looked up through the tree tops at the stars beyond. Tomorrow, sometime, he would likely be fighting and killing to complete a mission, to kill a bandit king, and sometime on the way back to the village, he'd likely be fighting for his life as well.

He resolved not to kill Hinata, or even seriously injure her if he could help it. She was under orders, after all, and she'd always been a nice girl to him before he'd graduated. She didn't deserve that kind of fate simply because she had to follow orders.

--

Sunlight peeked between leaves and tree trunks alike as the sun rose. Naruto stretched, rubbing out a kink in his back before using Kawarimi no jutsu to get back to the ground where his clone had been. He released the clone that was now in the tree and got out of the bedroll, packing it up, as the others began stirring awake.

_It's amazing the difference being fifteen feet up in the air makes. Wakes me in time that I can be packed up before anyone realizes it wasn't me down here._

Kurenai watched from the corner of her almost entirely closed eye, as the rest of her team began to wake up. _Kakashi wasn't exaggerating when he said that Naruto never let's his guard down, even asleep._

Another thought occurred to her. _If he was up there even last night, then he might have seen Hinata and I signing to one another. _She considered this for a while, as well as everything she'd been briefed on by Kakashi and the Sandaime Hokage flashed through her min. _Naruto's tendency to wake on the attack could be harmful or fatal to Hinata. He's strung tighter than a bow string and getting more tense every day. By all rights this mission is far too dangerous for her to attempt... but I chose this mission as much for her good as for his. At the very least it would get her obsession with him out of her system, and with any luck it would help curb her shyness. At best it might even turn into a stable relationship. _

_But if I get the Hyuuga heiress killed, Hiashi would likely demand my head... and get it._

Kurenai frowned, getting up out of her bedroll. _I have to err on the side of caution. _

Naruto made several seals, staring at an open scroll, before summoning a sword from it. The weapon wasn't just large, it was enormous, especially in comparison to his short frame.

_Well balanced, though._ Thought Kurenai, as she watched Naruto handle it. _Balance point less than two inches from the tsuba. Incredible for a weapon that size- and the balance point past the guard makes it fantastic for delivering an unstoppable impact, yet balanced enough to maneuver in a duel. _

Kurenai's eyes narrowed as she went about her business of packing up her gear. That weapon looked very familiar- although for the life of her she couldn't say exactly why. She'd never seen it in any of the local weapon shops, although a blade like that would be an extremely expensive display piece, with its balance and craftsmanship. By the grace and craftsmanship of the weapon, it could have been a Koemi weapon, perhaps even made by old Temetatsu himself. Suddenly she recalled yesterday's post meeting conversation with Anko.

_Flashback_

_"Anko... I was informed when we took this mission that we'd be receiving a chuunin kill team after we'd tracked down 'Mokujin' Roshi." Said Kurenai softly. "Why did Konoha send a genin team?"_

_Anko smiled. "Your guess is as good as mine as to how, Yuuhi-chan... But it seems somewhere along the line those three impressed the Hokage and the Council. They're being trained as a primary kill team."_

_Kurenai was startled. "What could they have done to convince the Hokage to make their first kill team mission a B-rank?" She asked in a choked voice._

_"Ah, that's the question, isn't it?" Anko said lightly. "Not only is their report from their last mission sealed, but everything about it as well- client, destination, even duration. We're not allowed to look up ANYTHING, except that the mission was classified as C-rank." _

_End Flashback_

Kurenai's eyes flashed. _I know where I've seen that weapon!_

Almost in a rush she opened up the side pouch on her pack, grabbing her blue Bingo Book. Flipping through the pages, she found the section detailing Nukenin.

_Mizugakure... There. Mamochi Zabuza, A-class missing nin... known jutsus, suiton based... foremer member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist... signature weapon, Kubikiri Houcho! OH MY KAMI SAMA NARUTO HAS MAMOCHI ZABUZA'S SWORD!_

Her eyes widened as she looked from the picture in the bingo book to Naruto, where he sat carefully inspecting, honing, and oiling the legendary blade. He looked up, feeling her eyes on him, and realized she recognized the weapon. Her most burning question must must have shown in her eyes, as he looked nervously around to be sure the genin of team eight weren't watching before flickering his finger message at her: -Yes it is.-

Kurenai felt her world spin for a second, and she had to steady herself against the nearest tree. The Seven Swordsmen were as famous for their weapons as for their deeds. None of them would reliquish their weapon willingly; the only way to take it would be in death.

_That means, somehow, in their last mission, team seven came up against Mamochi Zabuza... and Naruto killed him! No wonder they assigned team seven to a B-rank kill mission- they wanted to assess them all! And that means with the chuunin exams coming up..._

Kurenai gave Naruto a measuring look. _They want him ready to kill again. At some point during the chuunin exams, he's going to receive a mission to kill a participant from another village. _

_But it likely hinges on seeing how good he really is- this mission is to test to see if it was a fluke or luck, or if he- if THEY- are truly as good as the result of their clash with Mamochi Zabuza would seem to indicate. Is he truly deadly enough to have killed the Demon of Kirigakure?_

Kurenai turned to face the other jonin. "Anko sensei." Kurenai said. "If I could have a moment of your time."

"Yeah? What's up, Yuuhi chan?" Anko replied, hauling her bag over her shoulder before walking over to see Kurenai.

"I think..." Kurenai began, "That I know why team seven is being sent on this mission... and also I think I know why their last mission was sealed." Kurenai pointed at the listing in the Bingo Book, then pointed at Naruto. "Do you recognize that sword?"

Anko's eyes widened as she looked from the page. "No way!" She said quietly. "You mean... Of course! It makes sense, everything! The captured shinobi, the sword, everything!"

"Captured shinobi?" Kurenai asked.

"Oh yeah, that's right, you weren't in the village long enough to see him after the ANBU released him- team seven came back from that mission with a Shinobi hunter from Kirigakure. And the way he was acting, he was apparently Naruto's vassal now- I knew I'd heard the name Mamochi before, but I couldn't think where! Mamochi Haku, that was his name- Naruto killed Zabuza, and captured Zabuza's son!"

The two kunoichi fixed Naruto with a pair of cautious stares. "If the other two are anything close to him, we might be looking at the formation of a new Sannin." Said Kurenai in a voice tinged with wonder.

Anko nodded her head. "The one with the loose, dark hair is Uchiha Sasuke and was top of his class, and the other is Nara Shikamaru. By all reports he's the smartest of his generation. I'd say it's not only possible, but highly likely."

Kurenai shook her head in amazement. "I can't wait to see how this mission turns out- I have a feeling those three will be something to watch."

--

The teams had reached the site of the bandit king's stronghold by late afternoon. It was a wooden palisade. Near the top of each wall there was an interior walkwalkway, providing a four foot high wall behind which archers could crouch. The walkway was patrolled by thirty or so guards. Within the walls near the center of the camp were four roughly constructed towers, angled so that each wall had line of sight to three of them. Archers were posted at the top of these as well. All together, it was a fairly well considered layout.

"They have all their angles covered, don't they?" Murmured Sasuke.

"Hey, wait!" Said Naruto indignantly. "I thought this guy was just a bandit! Since when do bandits have hideouts like this? Why's he that organized?"

Anko sighed in frustration. "Well, duh, kid, that's why he's called a bandit king! Just a gang of bandits hiding out in a cave somewhere wouldn't be a B-rank mission, you know! A bandit king is actually dangerous, to a point."

Kurenai nodded, although her explanation was more patient. "See how they've cleared out all the underbrush and filled in the surface of the ground around the fort? It gives them a clear line of sight for at least two hundred yards in all directions. All of the men in the central towers are carrying longbows, and they appear to know how to use them, by their stances. The men on the walls not only carry their spears like professionals, but each of them is also carrying a short bow as well. They're disciplined as any soldier- this kind of coordination and training in his subordinates is why he's called a bandit king. And 'Mokujin' Roshi is by all reputation a very dangerous foe himself. This is the reason the local daimyo called on the services of Konoha." Kurenai looked over at Anko. "You're in charge of the kill team; what's the plan?"

Anko shrugged. "No clue. I'm only here to supervise and support in case of catastrophe. According to the Hokage's instructions, this is their show." She looked over at Naruto.

"Don't look at me." Naruto said, throwing his hands up. "I just break things- I'm not the strategist here." He and Sasuke both looked over at Shikamaru.

Shikamaru looked around at the other seven whose eyes were all fixed on him. "Nobody for me to pass the buck to?" He asked. "How troublesome." He paused for a second, looking over the fort. "Hmmm. Well, right now I don't have enough information, so everyone lay out the tools you've brought along with you. I need to know what resources we have to work with."

The genin began laying out their gear. Anko and Kurenai exchanged a short nod of approval. Out of all team seven, Shikamaru showed most the mentality that was required of a chuunin. Should team seven participate in the chuunin exams this year, he'd almost certainly make his promotion.

Shikamaru requested a more thorough overview on the abilities of each of the genin of team eight. After a forty-five minute briefing and demonstration of each of their abilities, Shikamaru sat down and began meditating. Naruto and Sasuke exchanged a grin- after one of these think sessions, Shikamaru was usually at his finest. Given time to prepare, not even Naruto could count on winning against him.

Shikamaru opened his eyes. "I'm sorry, Anko sensei, Kurenai sensei, but as the teams are we would be unnecessarily hampered. I would like a quick reorganization of the teams." At their nod of assent, Shikamaru went on. He looked around at the group, than drew in the dirt a rough layout based on what they could see from the outside.

"As it stands, of the genin present we have two long range types- Shino and Sasuke- and four short range and melee types. Since all of the enemy are carrying bows, we don't want to expose ourselves to their fire if we can at all help it." Shikamaru nodded out to the open field between the tree line and the fortifications. "Those darkened marks on the ground indicate where they typically burn bonfires at night so as to make approaching attackers visible at night. If I make my guess they'll start assembling the bonfires about half an hour before sunset. Therefore, the most effective time for us to strike would be at dawn or right before, where the lighting conditions are hardest for human eyes to adjust to, and the bonfires have all burned down to embers. Additionally, should fighting break out, the rising sun will make my shadow manipulations most effective and give them their longest range."

Shikamaru pointed to the four squares near the middle of his drawn diagram. "These towers are placed near the center of the complex to provide easy line of sight to the surrounding fields and enhance the defensive capacity of the walls by allowing the archers to thin out an attacking force as it comes in. But the one thing the designers were not counting on was this." Shikamaru drew a dotted line around the drawn walls on the ground. "The cover those walls provide to the patrollers on the top creates a blindspot that they can't see into from any tower or any point on the walls. Ordinarily the bonfires and the wide open area would make this a null point, but at dawn we can degrade the effectiveness of their eyesight the best."

Sasuke drew a question mark on the interior of the walls. "We don't know how many buildings they have inside. I suspect, however, the largest one will be where Roshi is staying. It will be either a spreadout one story building, or a two story building. Any higher than two stories and we could see it from here. More on this later."

Shikamaru pointed to each ninja as he spoke. "My proposed arrangement is the first team, with Anko sensei supervising, be myself, Naruto, and Hyuuga Hinata. Hinata's byakugan is well developed and will allow us to scout out the interior layout more effectively. Her skill as a close range fighter with her jyuuken may also aid us greatly should we get into a lot of close quarters fighting. Naruto's clones can provide us flank security in our assault, and at close ranges his sword as nearly unstoppable. I can provide them both medium range support with my shadow jutsus and while present can adjust the invasion plan as needed."

"The second team with Kurenai sensei will naturally be Sasuke, Shino, and Kiba. Kiba and Akamaru are fast and can get in close to the enemy to do a great deal of damage... But I want them in the second team for a different reason. Sasuke and Shino will be supporting from long range with ninjutsu once the guards become aware of our presence. They can divide the attention of the guards outside who will be responding to the attack on the inside. Extend yourselves to maximum range- Sasuke, I want you to burn the walls with Gaton jutsus. Shino, your job will be to assault the archers in the towers with your insects- but until the attack is launched keep your insects in the air and dispersed as much as you can safely manage so that the guards inside the walls can't see them. Between the two of you, Shino, I want you attacking first. Sasuke, once the archers are engaged, then you burn the walls. The signal for the attack will be the guards on the walls running off the walls. When that happens, wait fifteen seconds exactly then begin your assault. By that time all of the guards should be distracted enough that when the attack occurs, they'll be indecisive as to where they should go. This will reduce their effectiveness by seventy five percent, if I guess correctly, and increase the amount of time before the main building gets reinforcements by about a minute and a half."

"Wait, why am I with those two again?" Kiba asked.

Shikamaru nodded. "You and Akamaru can provide flank security for Sasuke and Shino wqith one of you watching each side. You're strong enough in close that you can hold back the enemy until Shino or Sasuke can support you and finish them off. Additionally," He added, looking at the red eyed jonin, "Since the support team will be weakest from behind, I ask that Kurenai sensei maintain watch there. As a jonin, you will be more than a match for anything we should run across in this assignment."

Shikamaru rubbed his eyes a second before going on. "Just before sunrise, we will make our way henge'd across the field as tarantulas. Our size, coloration, and the lighting conditions should make us effectively invisible for the time it takes us to cross. Once we are there, Hinata will use her byakugan at the base of the wall to locate the likeliest building and then our target's exact location inside that building. From there we will see. If he is in a one story building, or the ground floor of a two story building, I anticipate an easy mission. We can tunnel through the dirt here fairly easy. It will take us a maximum of thirty minutes, digging at a good pace, to get to wherever Roshi is located- from there, we can burst out of the ground, strike, and leave, collapsing our tunnel behind us to stop pursuit."

Shikamaru frowned. "If he is in the top floor, things will be more complicated. He has very good security outside the building protecting the complex, so he isn't likely to have guards patrolling the interior of the building, but there's no guarantee of this. We will likely have to invade the building and find and kill him as fast as we can. At which point stealth is going to go right out the window, and we will need the distraction the support team will provide."

Sasuke asked, "What if they don't take the bait to come back to the walls when we attack?"

"If they continue inside, then head to the walls. The archers in the tower will still be too busy to do anything about you, and the walls themselves will be undefended, at which point Kiba, you and Akamaru should be able to combine forces and penetrate that stockade in one attack, and can pincher the enemy between us when they are bottlenecked trying to get into the building. Their close quarters should make them easy targets for Katon jutsus, Sasuke, so you will be in charge of dealing with them at that point, while Shino harasses anyone away from their group and Kiba keeps them from getting too close."

"I only have so many insects." Shino commented.

"By the time you reach the walls, your insects should be done with the archers." Shikamaru answered. "You won't be running top speed so that you aren't winded when you reach the walls." Shikamaru waited. "Any other questions?" No-one answered. "Good. rest up- we'll attack at twenty five minutes before dawn."

End Chapter Nine

-AN: Mentioned in the reviews was a question about the jump from Kakashi's father to Jinchuuriki. Well, that part wasn't so much about Kakashi's father as it was about Danzou- Just as the information about Jinchuuriki was in a side ways fashion illustrating what made jinchuuriki so fearsome, why Naruto was different, and implying without directly saying just why Danzou should never be able to get his hands on Naruto, both pointing at Danzou's motivations and actions in the past, as well as the potential problem that could arise should Danzou get his hands on that kind of power in the present. But also the part of the scene where Kakashi and Sarutobi traded commentary in sign language kind of illustrates that much of what Sarutobi was talking about, with kakashi's assistance as the intended recipient of the information, was really being staged for Haku's benefit- that this itself was something of a power play reaction by the Hokage, recruiting a ninja to his side without ever asking or even letting the ninja know that he was in fact recruiting. It was a careful and dirty trick employed by the Sandaime Hokage. It's another demonstration that while he IS a fairly benevolent old man really interested in the good of all Konoha, or at the very least opposing someone whose actions are going to do irreparable harm to the village. But the fashion in which he approaches it says in no uncertain terms that the old man is still a ninja- and a very sneaky, underhanded sort at that, meaning that he is hedging his bets even though he doesn't know the full extent of what Danzou is planning.

Anyhow, I apologize to those of you who had some difficulty with the transition, but I work two jobs and am essentially writing this story on lunch breaks and stop lights. So if you see some dude dictating into a mini tape recorder and driving a minivan while you are driving from point a to point b, congrats. You may have run across me. I'll try and smooth out that, as well as many other things, when I get around to the rewrite after the first story arc.


	11. Chapter Ten: Innocence and Guilt

Ten thousand hits! Celebrate it with me, ten thousand, ten thousand, ten thou- No? You don't care? O well T.T Anyhow, on to the show...

Previously: While Kakashi is away on a mission, team seven is informed by Anko that she will be their interim jonin sensei for their next mission, a B-rank search and destroy mission targetting a famous bandit king named Roshi, sometimes called the "Mokujin" or woodman. Meeting up with the tracking team that located him, Shikamaru has formed a plan to take on Mokujin's fortress and his highly trained bandit underlings...

Chapter Ten:

Team seven was napping- mostly. Team eight was as well, save for Shino, who had posted his bugs out as sentries around their small camp barely ten yards from the treeline. If one looked carefully, they could see the palisade walls through the tree trunks. Naruto marvelled at the thought that the fortress must have taken days or weeks to build- and they were likely going to destroy it in the next twelve hours.

Naruto looked over at Anko sensei, who was busy cleaning her kunai and sharpening them, preparing her weapons for combat. "So why do they call him Mokujin, anyhow?" Asked Naruto.

"Because of what he does with his victims." Replied Anko, not looking up. "After a raid or a fight, he likes to take prisoners. After torturing these prisoners for any information they have, he cuts off their arms and legs, sears the stumps, and jams tree branches into them, before tying them to trees and leaving them to die of exposure, dehydration, and infection. I've heard it said that a lot of the victims swallow their own tongues rather than risk rescue and living crippled completely for the rest of their lives."

Naruto's expression was one of distaste. "Unnecessarily messy. If you're going to kill someone, just kill them- that sort of thing is time consuming and pointless."

Anko raised an eyebrow, looking at Naruto sidelong where he lay, staring at the forest canopy. "You don't seem especially offended or sickened by his modus operendi. Strong stomach or just don't care?"

"Strong stomach, probably." Naruto said with a distant look in his eye. "But then, I'm not foolish enough to think there's a whole lot that people won't or can't do." He paused. "Um, Anko sensei..."

"Yeah?" She said.

"Do you think I could learn that jyuuken that Hinata uses?" Naruto asked.

Anko shrugged. "I know they use it because of their Byakugan. It aids them in seeing where they need to strike."

Naruto shook his head. "But even if you don't have the byakugan, couldn't you use their jyuuken just by remembering where they strike an opponent?"

"It's not that easy for a couple of reasons. First off, each person's chakra coils are slightly different. The jyuuken relies on extremely precise targetting and chakra control, and a strike only slightly off may be severely weakened or totally ineffective. But even if you watch where they strike a specific opponent, it's still not a guarantee of effectiveness."

"Why not?" Naruto asked.

"Because a person's chakra coils aren't like internal organs, that stay in a fixed location. They changed position and size with the varying amounts of chakra in them, the position of the body, and even the general mood of the person. They'll maintain the same general relation to one another, but the actual coil they target may vary by as much as a half an inch in location from one second to the next, after all of these factors are taken into account. That's what makes Hyuuga Neji such a genius."

"Who?"

"Oh, right, he wasn't in your class when he graduated last year. Hyuuga Neji is the current prodigy of the Branch family of the Hyuuga clan. He's generally hailed as the strongest genin in Konoha."

"Really..." Naruto's voice held a trace of eagerness. Anko found it rather adorable.

--

"I have reconsidered your mission, Hinata."

They still had another seven hours to go before the attack on the fort. Hinata's face showed a strange mix of relief, confusion, curiousity, and disappointment. An entirely understandable mix of emotions, as far as Kurenai was concerned. Hinata wrestled with these feelings for a few minutes before she finally asked, "I understand, Kurenai sensei. May I ask... why?"

Kurenai looked over at the bedroll where Naruto lay... sleeping? there was no way to know for certain. "Naruto is... dangerous right now." She began.

"I am a ninja." Hinata said boldly. There was something akin to determination coming into her pale eyes. "Danger is not something one can shy away from in our world."

_Wow... I guess giving her this assignment had more of an impact than I thought._ Kurenai thought to herself. Out loud she said, "This mission is of a nature more risky than the usual run of the mill mission. Naruto is very volatile. He has no idea of his hormones effect on his judgement, and what's worse, has a great many trust issues. He needs to be approached in a more experienced manner, or else it could fall apart. And I do not wish to be responsible for you being injured or... worse, should he misunderstand your intent."

Hinata fixed Kurenai sensei with a steady gaze, one filled with... possessiveness? "But of course, the mission will go on. And of course Anko sensei cannot get involved, as she is his direct superior."

Kurenai felt a moment of surprise at this side of Hinata. "He does not know me- do you want to risk what friendship you have with him over this?" Kurenai said, trying to buy time to think.

The words had their desired effect- Hinata stopped short. "I... did not think of that." She said after a moment.

"The field is too stressful an environment for this- you are too emotionally involved, Hinata chan." Kurenai said with more of her characteristic gentleness. "You will need to resolve this yourself- you're too close right now for you to carry out this mission- but that doesn't mean your goal can't be attained. You will just have to decide it on your own."

--

Go-time. Naruto, Anko, Hinata, and Shikamaru crouched against the wooden log wall, poised. Shikamaru looked expectantly at the Hyuuga heiress. "Well, Hinata?"

"I count five buildings." She responded after a moment. "By the responses the people are giving, there are two sub commanders."

Shikamaru and Naruto waited anxiously, while several Kage bunshin dug a hole next to them aqt a diagonal angle to just under the wall. Naruto said, "You know, I could just blow all this up. Be fast, be easy, mission accomplished." He neither noticed nor cared much about the amused look Anko was giving him.

"Last resort, Naruto- We'd kind of like to bring back his head- can't very well do that if it's a smear in the dirt along with everyone else here." Shikamaru responded. "I believe I've found him." Hinata said suddenly. "The building we are looking for is forty four feet inside the wall, almost directly west of us. And it is a two story building, and he is in the top floor."

Shikamaru grumbled under his breath. "Never the easy layout, is it? What a pain." He sighed. "Can you tell me how many are in there with him?"

"I will try..." She said. After another thirty seconds, she said, "It looks as though there are twenty two people in that building."

"I can still blow it all up." Naruto said hopefully. The two kage bunshin in the hole paused in their digging to nod eagerly.

Shikamaru looked over at the two clones in the hole. "Naruto, how many of those can you make without-?" He left the statement hang.

Naruto understood what he meant. "Plenty- you wanna know how many I can make to blow up, right?"

Shikamaru glared at him. "Do you like seeing yourself blow up or are you just a pyro?"

Naruto shrugged. "Hey, I enjoy my work."

Anko slapped both hands over her mouth trying not to laugh out loud, while Naruto brushed off Shikamaru's intensifying glare. Hinata said, "There is also what appears to be an escape tunnel beneath that building, although it goes away from us, and too far for me to see its destination."

Shikamaru thought for a second, then nodded. "Alright. We can possibly make use of that. If we intersect our tunnel with the escape tunnel, we'll likely be able to get in without being seen. The only person who'll know about it is Roshi, so we can use that to our advantage."

"Why's that?" Asked Naruto.

"Because it's not for Roshi's men. If they know there's an easy way out of the fort, then they'll be that much less likely to stand and fight- they may be organized and disciplined, but they're still criminals. Roshi also wouldn't want anyone to know because if they did and got captured, they'd be able to trade that information for their freedom in a heartbeat." Shikamaru said. "He either did it himself or killed anyone that worked on it."

"Yep." Agreed Anko. "That sounds about right for those kinds of passages."

--

The passage was dug quickly, and as it increased, so too did the number of clones, passing back dirt to one another as they excavated. Within twenty minutes, there was a low, arched passage that led all the way into the escape passage. As they approached the door, Hinata held up a hand. "Wait!" She said. "There's a pressure plate on the floor."

"Trap?" Shikamaru asked.

"Yes..." She said, examining the walls. "There's two... no, three gaz nozzles. I believe it is poison gas."

Shikamaru nodded. After a moment, he fished in his bag for a minute, before pulling out a thick wad of putty and a couple of wooden stakes. After prying off the concealing screens with a kunai, Shikamaru cut the putty into three roughly even sized lumps, before stuffing them inside the holes, securing the putty with the wooden stakes. The putty would be air tight, and any pressure behind the stakes would force the putty into the narrow spaces between the stakes and the holes, effectively stoppering the holes with the increased friction caused by the putty interacting with a relatively larger surface area.

"Anything else?" Shikamaru asked.

"Only that the mechanism to open the door is on the other side- its designed not to be possible to open from this side without blowing it down." Hinata responded with a small frown.

"I can do that." Naruto said with a satisfied smile.

Shikamaru grimaced. "Aright, Naruto, you win. Knock on the door."

Naruto's smile widened to a grin. Forming a group of Bunshin, he led the others further down the hallway, before sending one of the clones running up the passage at top speed, straight for the door. "Katsu!"

Naruto grinned enthusiastically as he watched the secret door shatter inwards- this jutsu was the best one ever invented.

--

Every guard on the wall turned to face inwards at the sound of the explosion. First a single, then two more, then all of them dashed out to the ladders.

"Fifteen seconds- that was a quicker response I think than Shikamaru anticipated." Commented Shino.

"We have little time. Let's go." Said Sasuke, darting out towards the wall of the fort at top speed. The other three followed him, Shino's insects beginning their swarming assault against the archers in the tower. As they began flailing wildly, attempting to fend off the aggressive insects, Sasuke skidded to a halt about ninety yards from the wall, forming seals. "Katon: Gokyaku no jutsu!"

Sasuke remained rooted to the spot for several seconds, spitting a flurry of fireballs in a scatter pattern. As they flew they spread out, impacting the wall in multiple spots along its length, setting it on fire in numerous sections. Seeing the others getting farther away, Sasuke hurried to catch up with them, as Kiba and Akamaru didn't even slow down in their headlong rush. "Gatsuuga!"

The two of them leapt at the wall in a drilling assault, tearing through the scorched and burning palisade wall as though it wasn't even there. Sasuke caught up to the others as Shino grumbled, "Weren't we supposed to wait to see if the guards were coming back up to the walls?"

"Kill them all." Sasuke said. "Why worry about what they're going to do if they're not able to do anything?"

"I don't know, because they're human beings?" Snapped Shino angrily, his normal reserve forgotten.

Sasuke fixed him with a Sharingan eye. "These men were criminals, thieves and murderers. These men performed acts that in any civilzed land would be sentenced with death. They are not blameless or bystanders- quite the opposite- and I will not let them live to see another day. We are shinobi, and we kill. Do what you will, say what you will, in the end, this is our purpose. And in this case, I'd say our purpose is just." Sasuke turned back to the fight. "There is punishment, and there is justice. Punishment is meant to teach. Justice is meant to balance. Punishment inflicts pain to prevent further misdeeds, while justice extracts an eye for an eye."

"Killing them will not bring back the people they've slain." Kurenai said.

"But it will keep them from killing again." He answered. "These men have proven themselves too evil to be left alive, and I will see to it that they never kill an innocent family again."

Kurenai could not find it in herself to argue with his words, but she wondered how much of his vehemence came from him equating their deeds with those of his brother.

--

_These guys are brave. _Shikamaru thought grimly. _They fight as though they have something worth fighting for._

The hallway to hallway fighting was quick and brutal, and not without cost. This lot was even better trained than they had suspected, and some of them were about on par with low genin level combat. While the strike team was more than adequate to the task, when the bandits took up defensive positions to stall them and wait for reinforcemens, it took longer than they could afford to spend. They'd fought three groups so far, and Hinata had taken an ugly slice across her stomach from a spear she hadn't quite dodged fast enough. The cut was shallow, but long, and hampered her fighting ability, and if she moved too strenuosly she risked tearing it wide open. A gaping cut that wide could bleed a person out even though it hadn't cut any major arteries. She wouldn't halt, though, only taking long enough to place a compress and wrap around her stomach, before continuing on. When Shikamaru looked to Anko for support, she merely shrugged.

_I always heard the Hyuuga clan were tough._ Shikamaru thought. _I guess they live up to reputation._

Naruto put up a hand from his position in point. "Shika- we have a problem."

"Yes, little boy, I'd say you are quite correct." Said a silky voice from in front of them. "You do indeed have a problem." A female figure in black matte cloth stepped around the corner. Her hair was bound up into a bun, and she wore a long strip of black cloth over her face, concealing her features from her eyes down.

Anko cocked her head to the side, looking over the newcomer. She stepped forward, but Naruto said, "I've got this one."

Anko stopped, then shrugged. "Alright then. I'll let you two play for a minute. Just make it quick."

Naruto nodded, forming seals. "Dojutsu: Kamigan!"

--

"Boss, we're being invaded!" Said one of the bandits. "They tunneled in- blew a hole in from the first floor!"

Roshi laughed. "Now you know why I'm almost always on the second floor."

The other bandits nodded. Roshi was smart. He always taught them to do exactly as they were told, taught them the best and most effective ways to use any weapons they were given. Taught them that by standing firm side by side and attacking in coordination, that fewer of them ended up on the funeral pyres and more of them lived to divvy up the cash. And he took care of his men- He'd captured medics and had an infirmary building where those medics nursed the wounded back to health.

"So what do we do?" Asked another bandit, one of his appointed captains.

"Right now, we keep scouts out there to supervise- I've sent in a little friend of my own. She won't need our support- in fact, she's going to need the mobility to fight. Anyone else there would get in her way. If she wins, we clean up the mess. If she loses... We clean up the survivors, then clean up the mess. There's no way they'll make it out without injury- at which point they'll be easy leavings for us." Mokujin paused. "And if she's still alive after the fight, first priority will be to get Kawasaki Mari to the infirmary. Even if it is only temporary, if she's on my payroll, she works for me. And we take care of our own."

The men nodded again. Sure, he did some drastic things now and again to discourage pursuit. But whatever else could be said about the Mokujin, he never, EVER left behind anyone that he didn't have to.

A man like that, well, that was a man worth following.

--

Hinata gasped as she watched Naruto's chakra flow to his eyes. It was vastly more complex, and there was far more going on in his brain even than what Kyakugan used, but she could definitely tell that whatever else his Kamigan was, it was based in part off of the Byakugan.

_Is Naruto a member of the Hyuuga clan?_ She wondered. _If so, he'd have to be from one of the Lost Ones._

The Lost Ones were a Branch family of the Hyuuga clan who had figured out a means by which to nullify the Caged Bird seals. One night, after most of the family had slept, they deactivated their cursed seals and attempted to overthrow the Main Family. But they had to contend with too many loyalists of the other Branch families, and the few who lived were forced to flee for their lives. It was believed that none of the Lost Ones remained in the world- the last of them had been hunted down years ago. But if they'd had any children that none knew of, it was possible that there were still some Lost Ones out there. And Naruto WAS an orphan.

Hinata knew her duty to her family was to report the possible existance of any Lost Ones. _But... this is Naruto..._

Then Naruto dashed forward, and the enemy nin met him head on.

--

Naruto felt the dim pain fade away as Kyuubii's chakra went to work, and experienced the incredible rush of his awareness expanding, encompassing everything around him. Naruto had left Kubikiri Houcho in its scroll- the interior of a building was simply not practical for swinging a blade that size. Fitting it through doorways was hard enough. Instead, Naruto was using two kunai to fight, and this gave his opponent's kodachi the reach advantage. She made several handsigns as she hopped backwards out of his reach, as something glossy arose over the surface of her weapon.

_Why is she coating the weapon in glass?_ Naruto wondered.

As she dashed forward, Naruto's Kamigan saw where the strike would go, and he immediately understood. She was channeling volatile chakra behind the glass coating of her weapon. Any sudden impact to the weapon, such as from parrying or impact, would cause the chakra to shatter the glass and drive it outwards in a razor filled spray, possibly blinding him, and giving him multiple bleeding wounds. The splinters of glass would be painful and distracting, and would slow his reaction times- not to mention the sharp shards of glass embedded in flesh would great hamper the effectiveness of any healing jutsu applied. As an attack for a fight of attrition, it was fairly nasty. But she was still on guard, still probing. She wasn't really expecting this attack to affect him, in spite of its subtlety.

All of this flashed through Naruto's mind instantaneously. He ducked the swing and rolled past her, taking a swing at her legs with each kunai in passing. She tucked up in a tight ball, avoiding the swipes, and lashed out, a thin blade flying out from between the toes of her obi. Naruto tilted his head, allowing it to zip past his ear and stop in the collar of his orange coat. He turned his head back as he rolled to his feet, catching the rear end of the balde in his teeth, before pulling it out of his collar and spitting it back at her. It wasn't a fukimibari; thus it was a little too heavy to be used optimally in such a tactic. Even so, the weapon almost hit the kunoichi, just deflecting from the weapon, and pulling her weapon out of alignment to deflect against the two Kunai, the first one herding her dodge into the second one, a throw that looked like a wild miss but was actually a bank shot that would bounce the kunai off the wall by its ring, directly into her face. Her only chance would be to catch it with her teeth- momentarily blocking Naruto from her sight.

She seemed to realize this as well, and as he charged, he saw her body replaced by Kawarimi with a Doton Bunshin. His palm impacted with the kunai, dispelling the earth clone as he retrieved his weapon, while he flung a fistful of shuriken down the hallway where she'd appeared behind him. He threw himself flat as her kodachi slapped the floor, spraying shards out in front of her in a scatter shot pattern. _The walls stop those fragments quite nicely..._ Naruto thought to himself._ Nice attack to have indoors, if your opponents aren't wearing armor. _

He landed on his back, rolling to his feet backwards as the kunoichi slipped the incoming weapons- which immediately transformed into Kage Bunshin. The four bunshin immediately kicked the female nin in the back, driving her forward. As she flew towards him, Naruto noted the glint of chakra infused glass surrounding her hand. He dove to the ground, barely evading the thrust of her attack, while rolling out of the way of her palmed kunai. He was having a great time, although he was a little disappointed that she hadn't managed to land a real hit yet. _That glass strike of hers... I've almost got it- if I can see it just one more time... _

Mari threw her kunai. _Ask and ye shall receive, I suppose... _Naruto thought to himself. _This is gonna suck._

Naruto flung himself away from the explosion, not quite escaping unscathed. Hundreds of tiny slivers of glass were embedded in his skin, most in his forearms, but he managed to protect his face and throat. Numerous stipples of blood covered his shirt and pants.

Naruto felt the glassy shards dissolving into his body, even as his multitude of tiny wounds closed up. _Nasty. Any medic nin trying to do something about all those would have to remove each of those slivers one by one. Lucky for me..._

Kyuubi finished the thought for him with a tone of mixed annoyance and self satisfaction. **YES. LUCKY FOR YOU, I AM HERE.**

Naruto made half a dozen more clones, several of which hopped forward, glass coating their own fists. The dirt floor made it possible; they couldn't have used this technique on the second floor. He could only assume that the enemy nin carrying soil or sand on her person to help facilitate the attack. Their attacks were fairly suicidal; Naruto didn't see a need to attempt to preserve them in the face of all those razor sharp fragments.

The enemy nin didn't dodge them, per se- Instead, as she landed, she sank right into the dirt, as the glassy shrapnel sprayed out everywhere. Naruto tracked her progress with his Kamigan, starting to feel the drain on his chakra reserves. As she burst from the floor, attempting to strike, Naruto was waiting for her with the remaining clones, each of whom was using a glass fist.

Then, there was blood. Naruto had pulled out Kubikiri Houcho, sheltering against the torrent of glass shards behind it- even so, Naruto was still lacerated along his feet and the hand that gripped the handle, and there wasn't much left of the back of his jacket, either. He deactivated the Kamigan, and felt immediately light headed as the last sight he'd seen was burned into his memory.

Naruto pulled the sword back up out of the ground, and looked startled as the handle hit the ceiling. He saw the gory mess starting to soak into the dirt and numbly noted that an adult human body certainly had a lot of blood in it. "You guys can come out now- She's down." Naruto's eyes fell on the shredded flesh and exposed bone that had once been a living, breathing human, and he felt a wave of nausea.

Hinata emerged from around the corner looking distinctly green as well; Shikamaru didn't gain that look until after he rounded the corner. Apparently, Hinata had been watching the fight with her byakugan. Anko rounded the corner looking impressed and sticking a mirror in her pocket. "Nice work, kid. You have to teach me that move some time."

Naruto looked at the jonin with a look of equal parts disbelief and horror, but Anko merely looked him in the eye evenly. She said, "It's an efficient move- doesn't seem to use much chakra, it's sneaky, and it's a good attack to use on groups. All things considered, I'd say it makes an excellent weapon- even if you don't have the stomach to look at its results, you can't deny its effectiveness."

Naruto just shuddered in response. Hinata watched him wrestle with the gruesome results of his fight and felt her heart reach out to him. "Naruto..."

--

The fight against Mokujin Roshi was anticlimactic.

Naruto, in spite of his disgust at the results from before, none the less used the glass explosion jutsu on a number of shuriken before entering the room. The men Roshi had arrayed to defend were cut down like grass, some thrashing and clawing at blinded eyes, others laying far too still as their life's blood pumped out of slashed throats. Mokujin Roshi himself crawled on elbows and knees, his hands a ruined mess, as he attempted to reach the window.

Naruto looked over at Shikamaru, who steeled himself, before reaching out with his shadow and catching the man mid crawl. Forcing him to his feet, Shikamaru said, "Mokujin Roshi. You have led men on bloody rampages through small, defenseless towns, murdered deputies sent to halt your depredations, and defied the laws of this land and civilized people everywhere. We have been sent from Konoha to put an end to your crimes, and this we shall do." As he spoke, his hands formed seals, and on his last words, a shadowy hand reached up and latched itself on Roshi's throat. Roshi's eyes bugged out but he made no sound, nor bodily motion, until the light faded from his eyes, his bowels released with a terrible stench, and his oxygen starved heart jerked, quivered, and was still. The shadow faded, and the body fell to the floor.

Anko nodded, before coming forward, severing the head of the criminal, and dropping it into a bag. "Seems like you over estimated the response time of their reinforcements from outside, Shikamaru." Anko commented.

"No, sensei." Said Hinata softly. "Their reinforcements were on their way when the support team killed them all."

"I need a bath." Shikamaru said in a voice filled with self loathing.

Anko looked at the dispirited group, their morale low in spite of their successful mission completion. "Well, then, I suppose this mission is finished. Let's return home."

--

Kurenai led a small group of medics away from the flaming ruins of the bandit fortifications. Behind them, the other seven walked, purposefully not looking behind them at the only funeral pyres the bandits would ever receive. Naruto looked over at Anko, who walked with a jaunty gait. "Does it truly get easier?" He asked. "Does it get easier to kill like that and not care?"

Anko's step faltered, and Naruto didn't need the byakugan to read here emotions for a bare split second, before her mask set itself in place again. "Try not to think about it- and when the dreams come, sake will chase them away." She replied. "That's what it's like to be a snake- shed it like an old skin and do your best to forget about it."

--

Naruto heard Kurenai clear her throat. "Naruto."

He looked up at her from where he sat. He'd long since figured out that somehow she was able to discern between his clones and his real body; he'd stopped bothering with his usual deceptions and merely forced himself to remain more alert. "Yes, Kurenai sensei?" He said. _This is probably it. Our mission is finished, and now it's time to deal with me._

**SHE WILL LIEKLY DRAW US AWAY FROM THE OTHERS SO AS NOT TO ALLOW ANY OF THE OTHERS TO BE INJURED IN THE PROCESS.**

_Can we take her?_

**I DO NOT KNOW. SHE IS A JONIN INSTRUCTOR, AND SHE SEEMS TO HAVE A DEFENSE AGAINST YOUR USUAL DECEPTIONS. I DO NOT KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT HER ABILITIES TO SAY FOR CERTAIN, BUT SHE WILL NOT WALK AWAY UNSCATHED.**

"May I have a few minutes with you?" Kurenai asked.

Naruto knew with a sinking feeling that there could be no doubt. "Yes... Kurenai sensei." He looked out past the treeline as he stood up. "We will need to be some distance away- I would prefer... not to upset the others." He added quietly as they walked.

_Does he already know what we're going to do? _Kurenai thought with a hint of humor. _Perhaps Hinata might have been able to safely complete this task after all._ "Are you so certain there will be that much noise?"

Naruto shrugged. "Depends, I suppose." He paused. "Better that Hinata wasn't made to do this anyways."

Kurenai softly smiled. "Perhaps you misjudge her. If I hadn't ordered her aside, she would have willingly done this herself."

Naruto flinched. "Better that she... retains what innocence she has left after she saw what I've become today."

Kurenai said nothing for a while, trying to fit this display of self loathing into her image of Naruto from his academy days.

After a few minutes, Naruto spoke again. "What will you tell the others?"

Kurenai shrugged. "I don't know that anything needs to be said. Hinata will already know, of course, but she is discreet. The others may ask questions, or may not even notice."

Naruto looked at her in disbelief. "How could they NOT notice?" He asked. "I mean, it'd be kinda obvious, wouldn't it?"

"Well," Kurenai said, "I won't make a big deal out of it. If you like, I won't say anything at all if they ask. You at least have the right to your privacy."

Naruto nodded. _Even if she's supposed to kill me, at least she'll let me have some dignity._

**DIGNITY, IN THE FACE OF SURVIVAL, IS AT BEST A SECONDARY CONCERN. **

_Don't worry, bii-san. I won't die without letting you free._

**. . .** The voice in his mind was silent for a second, before it spoke again. **YOU INTEND TO LET HER DO IT. **

Naruto didn't answer.

**WHAT ABOUT YOUR PLEDGE TO PROTECT THEM ALL?** The voice demanded. **YOU CAN'T DO THAT IF YOU'RE DEAD.**

_What do you care?_ Naruto countered. _You'll be free soon. You should be happy, you upheld your honor, and you'll be rewarded as promised._

Naruto's reverie was cut off as Kurenai said from behind him, "This is far enough."

Naruto heard the soft rustle of cloth behind him. He sighed, and whipped out the scroll which held Kubikiri Houcho. In a single smooth motion he flicked it open, called the weapon forth and snatching it out of mid air as he spun to face Kurenai...

... who was standing naked in the moonlight filtering through the forest canopy, her kimono pooled on the leaves around her ankles.

There was an extremely awkward silence for about thirty seconds.

Kurenai frowned. "You're an extremely strange fourteen year old. Most boys your age would react completely different to seeing a naked woman offer herself to him." She took a step forward.

Naruto took a step back, suddenly angry. "I'm not an idiot. I invented the Sukebe Jutsu, you know! Did you really think this kind of thing would get me to lower my guard?"

Kurenai tilted her head to the side while she replayed in her mind their conversation during their walk. After a few more seconds, she reached down to the forest floor, picking up her Kimono and putting it back on, slowly retying her obi and brushing the leaves away, before she began walking back to the camp. She paused and looked over her shoulder. "I'm very glad now, that I didn't let Hinata do this. You would have completely broken her heart."

Naruto lowered his sword in confusion. _You mean... she was serious? But... what... I mean, why would she...? What the heck was all that about?_

**WHY DO YOU CONTINUE TO QUERY ME ON THE VAGARIES OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR?** Kyuubii asked. **I'VE TOLD YOU BEFORE THAT I'M AS CONFUSED AS YOU ARE.**

Naruto didn't follow for a long time.

End Chapter Ten

-AN: I am going to start switching to English translations of most jutsu names. It's just become too much work trying to sift through my rudimentary Japanese and various translation services to attempt to come up with appropriate titles for each technique I come up with, especially since I'm trying to be completely original with some of my OC's. So I apologize, but some of the mysteriousness of these cool sounding Japanese phrases is going to be lost. Or at least, I've always thought it sounded more exotic and mysterious if the title was in another language.

Okay, so: Kawasaki "Kodachi" Mari is a B-class missing Nin. Mamochi Zabuza was an A-class. Why was Mari able to even put up a fight? Terrain. The mission requirements prevent Naruto from using his more devastating attacks, being that they have to kill Mokujin and bring back something identifiable from him. Naruto likes his exploding clones, really likes them- and many of the other deadly attacks he has make a similar sort of impact on the environment. Further, the cramped halls of the building prevent him from being as mobile as he likes, plus his favorite weapon isn't usable in here for the same reason. Plus, also keep in mind that in spite of Naruto's cleverness in his first fight, Zabuza got away, whatever anyone else thinks. Mari, unfortunately for her, is QUITE dead.

For those of you disappointed that there wasn't a lemon in this chapter, shame on you. I told you before, I would never write a lemon about young teens/preteens. The situation is mature, but don't sit there hoping- cause it isn't gonna happen.

Yes, Haku is gay. No Naruto is not. No, Naruto doesn't have a clue that Haku is smitten with him. This is in fact based off a funny thing that happened to me- the scene with Haku attacking Sai wildly because Sai insulted Naruto was in fact a paraphrasing of an incident that happened in high school, from this guy who was my best friend. We used to hang out, catch movies, game D&D together, etc. Every so often, he would do or say something that I would stop and think, Huh? That's weird... and then file it away for future reference. The attack against the other guy who called me a chickenshit was really out of proportion to the insult; I was gonna deck the guy anyhow as soon as he grew the balls to actually put hands on me, but Joel just blitzed him and beat the living hell out of him. Long story short, this and other things sat completely not understood in my memory for long after I left Lancaster. Every so often, I'd remember things, think about them, say Huh... That was weird, wasn't it? and then file it away again, until one day, fourteen years later, with my new perspective on people I thought about that stuff, added it up together, and realized... Oh shit! Joel was gay, and he had a crush on me!

Then I felt really bad cause I can relate to having a crush on someone who's completely clueless about it, and it sucked bad. I didn't feel anything even remotely the same about him, so I suppose me being clueless was probably better than outright rejecting him, but I dunno. Anyhow, not really sure what the point of all this is, except kind of a catharsis wishing I'd been able to do something to fix the situation. So wherever Joel is, well, I wish him happiness and if he were ever to read this fic I'd want him to know that he's still my friend, even after all these years. So I guess Haku in this story is kind of a tribute to Joel, or something, with me doing my amateur-authorish best to put myself in his shoes and portray an unrequited type of love for someone who is totally clueless.

Aright, I guess that about covers it. Thanks again for the radership. Question me direct or post in the reviews, I try to answer my mail as faithfully as possible.

-AXENOME


	12. Chapter Eleven: Strangers with Biijuu

Previously: The mission is completed in a spectacularly bloody fashion. Shikamaru deals the killing blow to Mokujin Roshi, Naruto kills an Amagakure Missing nin as well as copies his first Sharingan acquired jutsu, and Sasuke demonstrates that nobody can host a barbecue like an Uchiha. After the mission, Kurenai discovers Hinata has a jealous side, and both Naruto and Kurenai discover that dancing around a subject can lead to a misunderstanding. Now, for the journey home... And the unrest that follows...

Chapter Eleven: Strangers with Biijuu

Sasuke and Shikamaru gave Kurenai a questioning look as she returned alone. As she ignored them both with dignity, Sasuke looked over at Shikamaru. "Where's Naruto?" He whispered.

"Dunno. You think maybe she..." Shikamaru whispered back, letting the question hang.

"Nah. No blood, she's not hurt or tired."

"She is a jonin."

"So was Zabuza."

"You think maybe he let her?"

"No way. Naruto's not a quitter." Sasuke said emphatically, albeit still quietly.

It was an uneasy half hour or more before Naruto returned. If anything, he was more distracted than he'd been on the way to meet up with team eight. And he was carrying around that stupid coin again.

Both relieved and annoyed, Shikamaru and Sasuke gave Naruto a wave. Naruto greeted them warmly, for him- but he wasn't very conversational. Instead, he kept looking over in the direction of Kurenai Sensei and Hyuuga Hinata.

--

"Report."

Anko looked at Kakashi. "You're taking mission reports, now?"

"When necessary." Kakashi replied.

"And right now it is necessary." Added Maito Gai.

"Any particular reason why?" Anko asked.

"Yes, but that can wait until after your report." Kakashi said. "How did it go?"

"Well, those three are probably the deadliest group of genin I've ever encountered. I like them." Anko said. "They don't hesitate, they don't give quarter, and they don't let a mistake slip past them. Naruto has an interesting ability- I don't know if you are already aware of it?"

"I am." Kakashi said. "And, while Naruto's abilities are currently considered S-rank classified, Gai is also cleared for the information."

"Ah. Well, he calls it the Kamigan- it's some kind of odd dojutsu. For some reason, his dojutsu seems to function similar in principle to what I've heard of the Sharingan, except it seems to be able to also conceptualize complex machinery in their entirety, and allows him to divine their function." Anko described. "I tested it out on a headset communicator, and after about fifteen seconds of examining it, he described the interior of the device in exacting detail, even going so far as to figure out the likeliest purpose of each piece of the unit. He even taught me something about microphones."

Kakashi looked surprised even through his mask. "I wasn't aware of that ability." He sat back and thought for a minute. "That makes him doubly valuable to Konoha. We could use him to dissect captured enemy equipment without destroying it in the process, and possibly even gain understanding into how and why they work."

Anko nodded. "I'd thought of that myself. But it seems to be as valuable in the middle of combat as well as outside of it. He understands the shape of things, the flow of the fight, and steers it into what he wants to happen. It's uncanny."

Kakashi nodded. "Alright, go back to the mission. You returned with Roshi's head, so I assume that everything went well?"

Anko nodded. "Only a few minor injuries, and, save for a fatality in Naruto's wardrobe, the mission went off very cleanly. Shikamaru is an able tactician, and capable of planning for contingencies without over thinking things. And Sasuke lives up to the reputation of his clan."

"By team eight's report, there was an interesting... interaction at the end of the mission." Kakashi said. "What happened?"

Anko snorted. "Should have properly been described as 'Kurenai go shot down on her first pass' instead."

Kakashi sighed. "We need to unwind him. Between the Mangekyou and his paranoia, Naruto may snap and start attacking anything at random. We need to find a way to defuse him. I'm considering having him sedated."

"You know why we can't do that." Gai said seriously. "The council would never allow it, my eternal rival."

"Doesn't mean I can't wish." Kakashi said with a sigh.

"Alright, I told you what you wanted to know." Anko said. "Now you tell me- what's going on?"

Kakashi and Gai exchanged a long, concerned look, before Kakashi turned back to Anko and said, "This is going to take a while."

--

"C'mon, Moegi!" Shouted Konohamaru over his shoulder. "We gotta-"

Whatever he'd been about to say was cut off as he ran into someone and fell down. Looking up from the ground, he met the eyes of a teen in face paint, wearing all black, carrying some sort of large, oblong bundle on his back. The look in his eyes clearly said he was NOT amused.

--

Naruto was walking along the street, his thumb rubbing slowly across the face of the Koemi token. His thoughts were elsewhere.

(Won't you get in trouble?)(If I do, it would be only a fraction of what I owe you for saving my cousin.)

(If you like, I won't say anything at all if they ask. You at least have the right to your privacy.)

(I'm very glad now, that I didn't send Hinata to do this. You would have completely broken her heart.)

He was interrupted from his reverie by the sound of a female's voice- a familiar one. "He didn't mean to, it was an accident! Let him go!"

_Huh? What's going on? _Naruto wondered.

He turned a corner to see a group of genin shinobi. Two of them wore the Hitai ate of Sunagakure, while the third was... Sakura? One of the Suna nin was holding an academy student dangling from his hand while the other suna nin- a kunoichi in fishnets and carrying a large combat fan- was looking half disgusted, half amused. "Hey, he slammed into me, and the little twerp is gonna pay fot it!" Said the Suna nin in the face paint. He pulled a hand back to slap the kid across the side of his head.

"Not on my watch." Naruto said.

--

"Not on my watch."

Those words were the only warning Kankuro got.

One second, he was getting ready to slap the little ninja wannabe around. The next, he barely let go of the kid and pulled his arm out of the way of a rising sword stroke that would have taken his arm off at the elbow. Before he could adjust his stance to defend, the blond ninja with the massive sword spun backwards, not swinging the sword, but instead reversing its momentum, driving the butt of the handle full into his solar plexus. Kankuro folded up like a card table and would have likely died from the overhand attack had Temari not interposed her warfan in front of the strike. There was a horrible screeching of tortured metal as the fan bent under the force of the blow; the blond ninja jumped back half a pace and assessed her with cold, killing eyes.

Her weapon all but ruined, Temari staggered back a step herself and looked at the damage inflicted on her warfan- the outer metal on one side had been sheered through, and the reverse side bent almost thirty degrees, protected from the same fate as the first side only by the wickedly tough woven metal cloth in between them. As it was, seven of the nineteen spars supporting the cloth were severed, the remainder as badly mangled as the semi-intact half of the outer casing. Temari looked into the eyes of her opponent, and for the first time in her life felt terrified that Gaara wasn't here. The blond konoha nin sniffed, as Temari hefted her ruined weapon, preparing to sell her life as dearly as possible- and afraid that it would still be effortlessly taken by the blond killer before her. He stepped back one more step into an attack stance.

"Naruto, NO!" Shouted someone nearby, a dark haired ninja with hair bound tightly into a topknot, running over as quickly as he could. "Let it go!"

The blond Konoha nin froze, but didn't relax, warily eyeing the two Suna nin for any signs of hostile intent.

"Naruto, let it go!" Yelled the pink haired kunoichi who'd been there since the beginning of the confrontation. "Konohamaru is okay, the incident is over!"

The other new arrival walked over cautiously, as though approaching a poisonous snake. "It's okay, man, it's over!" He said carefully.

"The hell it is!" Snarled Kankuro, clambering painfully to his feet as he pulled Crow off his shoulders.

Kankuro froze at the sound of the voice he'd lived in fear of now for almost twelve years. "Kankuro, this isn't what we're here for. You're a disgrace to our entire village."

--

Naruto's eyes snapped to the right, to see a third suna nin standing upside down, hanging from a tree branch. _Three of them now..._ he thought to himself. _I don't know how capable a combatant Sakura is, but at least Shika's here. They're both really smart, so they can probably hold the other two off until I finish this new guy._ Naruto's eyes narrowed, as he prepared to engage the Kamigan, when the appearance of the suna nin struck him. Dressed all in black, except for an orange sash that appeared to be holding some kind of gourd on his back- and a back tattoo on his forehead. His eyes had circles so dark around them that he appeared to be part raccoon. _Does that say... Love?_

**I FEEL SOMETHING... FAMILIAR ABOUT THIS BOY.** Kyuubi said quietly in the depths of Naruto's mind.

"It's... annoying, to see you lose your temper in a quarrel with a child, enough that the child's fellow ninja have to step in to stop you." The new arrival said. "Have you forgotten why we're here?"

"That little brat started it!" Protested the Suna nin in the facepaint. "He slammed into me, and when I called him on it, the blond teme attacked me!"

"Kankuro, shut up. Or I'll kill you."

--

Naruto noted with raised eyebrow that the one called Kankuro visibly wilted in the face of this statement, breaking out in a cold sweat. "You're right. I was out of line."

The kunoichi with the ruined warfan was attempting to placate the newcomer. "We're sorry, okay Gaara? REALLY REALLY SORRY!"

The Suna-nin with the gourd on his back hopped the distance to the ground in a single, rapid swoop, so quickly he seemed to teleport. "Sorry about my friends." Turning his attention to his comrades, he commented, "We're early... but we didn't come here to play around. Let's go."

"Wait!" Yelled Sakura.

The three Suna nin paused, looking over their shoulders. "Yes?" Responded the one the kunoichi had called Gaara.

"You're all from sunagakure, according to your hitai ate. And it's true that Sunagakure and Konoha are allies. But by our treaty, your nin are not allowed to cross the border without authorization." Sakura's voice gained a bit of firmness. "State your business! We can't just let you go on your merry way."

None of the Suna nin seemed particularly bothered by the statement. The Kunoichi pulled out a card holder, revealing travel papers. "Well, you're aggressive but not very informed, hmm?" She said, her bravado somewhat forced. Her eyes flicked to the suna nin with the gourd, before her voice gained strength again. "We're genin from Sunagakure. We're here for the chuunin exams."

Naruto wasn't paying much attention. In fact, he was standing in his alert mode, much the same as he did right before he burst into a fit of unrestrained violence, usually resulting in a lot of dead opposition. Shikamaru started to worry- the last thing Naruto needed was to start an international incident in the middle of Konoha.

Naruto looked at the kid with the gourd on his back. "Hey- what did you say your name was, again?"

Darkly shadowed eyes fixed on Naruto as the Suna Kunoichi asked, "Who, me?" in a slightly alarmed tone of voice.

"No." Naruto said, his eyes alight with excitement. His gaze was intensely on Gaara's forehead, focused singly on the tattoo reading "Love." "You... with the chakra..." He said with a dark smile on his face.

**I KNOW THAT CHAKRA.** Said the kyuubii suddenly.

The sand genin's eyes began to come alive as well, as a smile crept onto his own face. "My name? Subaku no Gaara." He said.

Shikamaru's eyes widened as he watched Naruto's face, while Temari and Kankuro likewise watched Gaara with growing alarm. All three gained identical looks of panic as killing intent began rolling off of the two Genin in a sudden tide.

"SAKURA! GET KAKASHI, NOW!!" Shikamaru shouted, grabbing Konohamaru and heading for an alleyway nearby.

Sakura broke off in a dead run as the cork popped out of Gaara's gourd, and Naruto encased Kubikiri Houcho in a thin layer of glass.

--

"The timing could not be worse." Kakashi said to Asuma. He turned his attention to Maito Gai. "Are you certain of this?"

"I had at first merely thought he was missing, but this confirms it." Gai held up what he'd found, a Hitai Ate of Konoha, with the Leaf symbol gouged across. Tears stood at the corner of his eyes as though he was in disbelief.

"Shit." Kakashi said sourly. "What can we do?"

"At this point, we have to go on as if everything is normal." Asuma said, nibbling nervously at the end of his fukimibari. "Only we higher jonin who are already aware of the situation can be filled in."

"Include Yamato and Haku." Kurenai interjected. "They're already aware of the situation, and Haku, even though he's only a genin, is... extremely devoted to Naruto. He won't betray anything that could harm Naruto's standing in the village."

Asuma nodded. "Yes, they can be useful in their own circles for damage control and enforcing the deception, although Yamato and Haku are too prominant right now in their respective social circles to retreat from them. Haku is too new here, knows too few of those in the village, to be effective at the deception, and Yamato is a terrible actor anyways. Too wooden. The rest of us will have to take turns-"

All of the ninja stopped cold as the huge wave of killing intent rooted them to their spots. Kakashi began to sweat. _I do not believe in-_

"Kakashi Sensei!" Screamed a girl's voice from outside.

"KUSO!" Swore Kakashi.

"MASTER KAKASHI!" The girl's voice screamed louder, loud enough that even from the street below, it was recognizable as one of Asuma's genin, Haruno Sakura. "COME QUICK! NARUTO'S ABOUT TO KILL SOME SAND GENIN!"

Kakashi sprang immediately into action. "Kurenai, mobilize ANBU! Asuma, Gai, clear out any civilians!" Kakashi practically tore off his hitai ate to reveal his sharingan eye as he tore out of the window from the Hokage tower at top speed.

--

Naruto and Gaara were facing off, the fight already begun but neither of them striking a blow... Yet. They stood carefully gauging one another, Naruto with the first stage of Sharingan engaged while Gaara's sand swirled around him. Their hesitation was uncharacteristic, but each realized that they were against a foe unlike any they'd faced before. Both genin tensed, their three companions cringing as they knew their reprieve was over, Kubikiri Houcho inched back slightly-

-And suddenly Naruto was tackled by Kakashi and two ANBU. Other Anbu swept the area for Kage Bunshin, while chakra suppressing seals were slapped onto Kubikiri Houcho (Glass fell away from the sword in delicate, splintered sheets), Naruto (Who vanished in a puf of smoke) and Naruto's Hitai Ate (Which turned into the real Naruto).

Several more ANBU faced off against Gaara, alert but not overtly aggressive. "Sir, we must respectfully ask you to step away from Uzumaki san. For your own safety."

Gaara's surprise was so complete, he forgot completely his urge to kill. Strangely, Shukaku wasn't pushing him to fight, even as he watched the ANBU restraining Naruto.

Naruto forced his head up to stare at Gaara. "You're like me."

Everybody froze, tensing.

Gaara's eyes widened slightly. "...what?" He asked softly.

Naruto looked over at Kakashi. "I'm not going to kill him." As Kakashi and the ANBU hesitantly released their hold on Naruto's arm, Naruto stood up, lifting up the left side of his shirt to reveal his scar, "Trust."

Gaara's eyes flicked to his own tattoo. Suddenly, in the depths of his mind, Gaara heard fear in the voice of Shukaku for the first time in his life. **KYUUBII NO KITSUNE!**

"Kyuubii?" Asked Gaara out loud.

Naruto grinned ferally as he replied, "Yes... Ichibii no Shukaku."

--

"The council wishes for Uzumaki Naruto to compete in the Chuunin Exams."

The Hokage paused, thrown off his pace. "I... beg your pardon?"

An older woman raised a hand to stop Danzou's response before she herself stood. Mitsuuga Linali, that was her name, wasn't it? "Hokage sama, we received word of a report from your interim replacement for Kakashi on team seven- Mitarashi Anko?" The Hokage nodded. "By her reports, team seven performs brilliantly. Expecially the Uzumaki child. His abilities are quite probably beyond chuunin level- he deserves this chance." The old woman ignored Danzou's angry growl. "But this is only one of two reasons."

The Hokage concealed his surprise at Naruto's acknowledgement and gestured for Linali to continue.

"We have also received word about a confrontation yesterday at the West Gate."

The Hokage did not bother to conceal his grimace.

"From all the reports, the Jinchuuriki of Konoha stepped in to the confrontation alone, without support, against a full team of Sunagakure genin who were bullying an academy student. It is the belief of this council the jinchuuriki of Sunagakure was not the initiator of this incident. None the less, the clash between the two could not have hoped to be contained to a small area- enormous amounts of collateral damage would have inevitably developed as a result of their contest. Furthermore, we are aware that Naruto is aggressive when encountering a good fight, and the Suna nin is bloodthirsty. They may well seek one another out, now that they are aware of each other's existance- unless we make it all but certain that they run across one another in a controlled environment, such as by entering Naruto into the chuunin exams. Then their confrontation will take place in an arena meant for such encounters, or at least, where the citizenry will not be endangered." Linali explained.

The Hokage sat back in his chair, trying to figure out what to do. On the one hand, this played directly into Danzou's hands, by granting the opportunity to take away the Jinchuuriki from Suna, or else eliminate Naruto's presence permanently. Either way, it was a coup for Danzou. On the other hand, the proscribed set of actions were a sensible precaution.

Additionally, the presence of the Suna jinchuuriki was also a sign. One does not wisely reveal the existance of one's greatest weapon without intent to use it.

The Hokage thought long and hard on his predecessor. _What would HE decide in a moment like this?_

_He would choose whatever was best for the village, no matter the personal cost- and he did. Which is why I'm here, in this situation right now._

The Hokage put his hands behind his back. "Very well then. I agree." The Hokage smiled a thin smile at the surprised look on Danzou's face. "Does this amaze you?" He asked. He went on without waiting for Danzou's answer. "It surprises me as well. But then, even a stopped watch is right twice a day."

Danzou growled through his teeth. "And one that has fallen behind is never right at all." He shot back.

--

"I've recommended you all for the chuunin selection exams."

Shikamaru frowned. "Sounds like a lot of work."

Sasuke smiled. "Sounds like fun."

Naruto had been watching Kakashi's eye as he spoke. "Sounds like you aren't telling us everything."

Kakashi fixed his eyes on Naruto. _Evidently, his sight doesn't need to be activated to affect his perceptions anymore. This could be troublesome._ "And so I'm not. Your team is receiving a fourth member."

"Who?" Naruto asked.

"Come on out." Kakashi said.

After a moment, a long haired boy in a black body suit stepped out from behind a tree.

"Haku?!" Said Naruto after a moment.

"Haku." Kakashi confirmed. "By special dispensation, as well as the synnergy you three have together, it was decided to keep you three as a fixed unit. Until further notice, team seven consists of you three, as a core group. Additionally, you will receive an additional, single member on occasion for training purposes, either the new member, yourselves, or a combination of the two. This new member will be a specialist in one aspect or another in the art of assassination. Finally, your team designation will no longer be team seven- your new designation is team Akachi."

Team Blood Red- An appropriate name for a team whose greatest talents were to take lives. "Should you choose to apply for the chuunin exams," Kakashi held up a small stack of stapled forms, "Then fill these out and turn them in at room 301 at the Academy tomorrow by Four o'clock." Kakashi paused. "Because of circumstances outside of our control, I will not be representing you as your jonin instructor during the exam. That will instead fall to Anko. I will be representing team Gai instead."

The surprise was evident on all their faces. Kakashi summarized. "Gai Maito is currently unavailable due to an S-class mission only he is suited to. As a result, since I have some experience with team Gai but Anko does not, it was decided that this arrangement would be best for all concerned."

Naruto blinked. Then, he turned to Haku. "Well, welcome aboard."

Haku smiled and looked away. "Th-thank you." He replied with a blush.

Naruto looked confused, Sasuke shaken, and Shikamaru shocked. The latter two looked over at Naruto, then looked at one another. Neither one needed to say anything. _He's completely clueless._

--

"The situation has gotten worse." Said Toji.

"How so?" Asked Kakashi.

The Hokage's office was empty, save for the two of them. Kakashi sat to the side of the Hokage's desk, doing paperwork that by all rights should have been Sarutobi's job.

"When the Hokage came to release Naruto after the... incident, last week, he ordered an investigation as to security breaches and possible infiltration of the village." Toji said.

Kakashi nodded. "I was there, if you remember."

"Yes, sir. Well, that investigation has taken place," Toji said with an unhappy expression, "and we have come up with something."

"Come up with something?" Kakashi asked, carefully setting his pen and the paperwork to the side. "What do you mean?"

"We have evidence that the village will come under attack soon." Toji said. "Hard evidence. We've uncovered a traitor in our midst."

"You have my full attention." Kakashi said.

"Out investigation of the village regarding the security breach revealed that Aburame Kenji of the Aburame clan has been in close contact with Otogakure." Toji stated, pulling out a sheet of paper and handing it to Kakashi. "The captured insects were able to relate the following data with the translation help of another member of the Aburame clan. It is far from complete, but we have ascertained from the message that there is another informant, although we couldn't find his identity. The insects revealed the data you see on Konoha's defenses, but of the insects which we could not stop, we are uncertain what information they may have been carrying. When we attempted to capture Kenji, he killed himself with some sort of suicide mark before we could subdue him."

Kakashi sighed. _Just one more complication. _"Call a meeting of the Nine- except for Haku. He has to remain in position for the time being. We can brief him after the first portion of the exam."

--

Naruto, Shikamaru, Sasuke, and Haku stood together in front of the academy.

"Seems so long ago." Commmented Naruto. "And yet, here we are again."

Sasuke looked at Naruto. "Hey, where's that stupid coin you're always carrying around?"

Naruto looked down at the ground for a second. "I... spent it."

Sasuke looked over at Naruto's new wardrobe with a smile- much better than what he used to wear. Naruto had gotten himself a new coat, mid thigh length, with red flames on the bottom that faded to black as it rose to his chest. His orange pants has been traded in for red as well; the other members of team akachi had likewise acquired similar clothes to mark their designation, with the exception of Haku, who still wore his black bodysuit. Now, it wasn't even particularly embarassing to be seen in public with him. "You know, nobody's gonna recognize you without that awful orange crap you used to wear. You oughta thank that Amagakure nin who destroyed the coat." He said. Then, as though just thinking of it, he snapped his fingers. "Oh wait, scratch that. You gotta find which portion of her corpse used to have her ears first, else she'll never hear you."

Naruto sighed. "You weren't even there, teme." He responded tiredly. "You were outside barbecuing."

"At least they didn't have to wring out a mop to do the autopsy on any of MY kills." Sasuke shot back with a smirk.

Shikamaru scowled as the two of them bickered. Finally, he'd had enough. "You two are acting like idiots. Let's get this show on the road."

Haku stood quietly to the side, eyes scanning the area, before Naruto and Sasuke aimed irritated snorts at one another but stopped arguing, as the four of them continued up the steps and into the academy.

--

Behind them, Temari looked after the group of four Konoha genin, most specifically at the blonde on. In her mind, she was thinking back to the conversation they'd had together in the Koemi clan shop. His apology for destroying her weapon, his extension of friendship, to her and her brothers.

(Don't tell anyone. Especially your brothers- just say you had a spare.) (But... they know I didn't have a spare- and this fan is a masterpiece weapon!) (The Koemi clan is famous for their craftsmanship. Besides, if it hadn't been for me, you wouldn't have lost the first one... and since you're the sister of Gaara... well... he and I are, I guess, brothers of a sort. So I guess this is my way of making up for my earlier temper. Cause you're like a sister because of it. Or something.)

_In one month... we'll be enemies. _Temari thought to herself._ Your friends may die at the end of this weapon... Damn you... How can I fight you if you... Kami, what's happening to me..._

Temari looked at her new warfan- if anything, a finer weapon than that she'd owned before.

And all it cost her was... her will to fight.

End Chapter Eleven

Preview of Chapter Twelve:

_Kabuto didn't register much else. For the next several minutes, the proctors questioned the other genin in the room, before nodding and taking up positions in the sides of the room. _

_The scarred jonin's words to someone else nearby were the next thing he remember as his inner ear settled down. "Then you acted in defense of a comrade- but you made a mess in the back of my classroom. I expect that to be cleaned up, or I'll charge you with littering." _

_The scarred jonin turned to face the other two Otogakure genin, who were standing shivering, staring numbly at the corpse of their team mate, still cooling in his drying pool of blood. "As for you two, this exam is open solely to those who have the maturity to follow mission parameters, and to curb the reckless impulses of members of their cel who otherwise don't control themselves. Since only a complete cel can enter the exam, and since your team mate unwisely got himself butchered, the rest of his cell is disqualified with him. A dead body can't become a chuunin, although," He added with a cold, thin smile, "A chuunin certainly CAN become a dead body."_

AN: ALRIGHT! First, a new warning- I've had several problems crop up at the same time, most notably a spike in business means I've a couple new accounts and getting new accounts set up in Vending is a lot of grunt work for at best questionable return for the first year or so. On top of this, I'm having trouble linking the next few pieces of the story together- I've got about three more chapters written in my notebook, and they're striking, well written, unutterably cool- and since they were based on my written notes, they have virtually no connection to what's already been published online. Which means I have about twenty thousand words or so of re-writing to do before I can post them online. And therefore, from this point forward, I'm going to be working off my online story, not what is in the notebook, so hopefully I don't f--k up like this again. What this ends up meaning, though, is my next few chapters may be a little slow in coming out- for me, at any rate.

A note about the conversation between Naruto and Kurenai. People when they are uncomfortable with a topic will often refer to it without directly saying it outright. In this case, Kurenai is uncomfortable with what she sees at the very least as poaching, not to mention Naruto is still just a child in her eyes. Naruto, on the other hand, is feeling trapped with two options- kill a jonin of Konoha(A person with whom he has no real problem with) or die(Which he DOES have a problem with). It's something of a no win situation, which in turn means he doesn't even want to think about it, much less talk about it directly. "So, do I kill you, or let you kill me? Just wondering what your opinion was, think about it for a minute. I won't go anywhere." Doesn't really work for him. As a result, each of them ends up discussing "it" without really stating what "it" is... and their conversation dovetails depressingly well. And no, Kurenai doesn't know the details of Iruka's mission.

As to Naruto seeming to change from one moment to the next- from thoughtful or even playful to battle hungry or murderous- this is an effect of the ongoing psychological damage he's had. The dichotomy between his normal activity and his fighting mindset is creating almost an entirely separate persona that he uses to deal with what he does all the time. The switching into this persona frees him from all responsibility and moral restriction- and when he comes out of it, he is becoming increasingly disgusted with his actions when he is fighting. The evidence is becoming more obvious; I've done this on purpose, in an effort to portray the gradual decline of his state of mind, until when he... Ah... but that's a secret...

That's it, except for an exceptionally bizarre Omake that occured to me.

**Omake**:

"That little brat started it!" Protested the Suna nin in the facepaint. "He slammed into me, and when I called him on it, the blond teme attacked me!"

"Kankuro, Silence, I keel you!" Gaara yelled.

"You keel heem?" Asked Temari. "You keel heem DAYD?"

"He gon KEEEL me!" Shouted Kankuro. "Don't KEEEEELLL ME!"

"DOO EET!" Shouted Naruto. "DO EEEET NOOOOOWWWW!!"

"BOOM!" Roared Gaara, and exploded.

The rest of them stood staring at the blackened spot on the ground. "Um... What did that prove?" Asked Shikamaru.

"I keel him for he is an INFIDEL!" Said Gaara from thin air.

"Um... aren't you dead already?" Asked Sakura.

"Oh, right." Gaara said.

End omake... And no, I have no idea wtf I wrote that for, it just sort of wouldn't let me go untiul I typed it out... -.-;

Any questions, review me or message me, and I'll try to respond promptly- if I miss you, don't be mad, it's not a brush off, just idiot me not noticing an email.

Ja mata.

-AXENOME


	13. Interlude: From the Shadows

An apology to all my readers: Chapter 12 is still not done. I know I said it would be finished today, but I've had a few Real Life issues crop up, and to top it off, that little bugger is LONG. Rather than give you all a half finished piece, I'm putting this up to let you know I haven't forgotten. I'm planning on having it up by Wednesday. AND SO... I grant you this small interlude... May you find it... Interesting, and enlightening.

Interlude 1: From the Shadows

The night was cool and crisp. A hint of dampness hung in the still air; were one to leave a kunai in the dirt tonight, by morning it would be beaded with tiny droplets of dew.

_No kunai will be dry tonight,_ thought the phantom as he slipped over the compound wall.

The incoming shinobi had made a flurry of hand signs; then, where he'd held nothing before, shuriken appeared in a mass before him. The first of the guards on the other side raised his eye to the sudden motion over head- his mouth opened, but no sound came out of it as dozens of shuriken impacted his body, cutting his vocal cords, shearing away strips of skin, embedding themselves in his lungs and liver and heart. He was quite dead before he could hit the ground.

Two other guards heard the body fall, and as they spun to face the fallen inja, the invader summoned a metal staff from nowhere. The heavy metal pole spun once, flying from hand to hand as each hand not currently holding it formed seals alone, and at one point in the half second sequence they would have sworn the pole itself bent double.

"Metal Style: Double Edge seeks the Soul!" Said the invader.

Both guardsmen shrieked as their weapons, both in hand and those still holstered, warped and twisted back on themselves. Metal edges dug into flesh, turning inwards, seeking their vital organs. In seconds, both men were unarmed, every shred of metal on their bodies having wormed its way inside them. Not that a state of disarmament was significant to either of them. They were dead, gruesomely so, but mercifully quite insensate to anything.

The ninja grimaced at the screams. _I must be out of practice... I knew I should have been more active these last few years. _He scaled the walls with both feet and one hand, making no whisper of noise louder than a falling leaf onto grass. the staff he kept slung over one shoulder, out of the way but still ready for attack.

Inside the main building, he scanned quickly right to left, and frowned. _Been many years since I have been here... But if I remember correctly, the room I am looking for is two doors down the hallway... _

As though called by the thought, the door in question opened, and out stepped a ninja in metal straps and buckles. His face was bandaged over, and two eyes peered out from between them.

_A happy occurance._ The invading nin thought. _This may be wrapped up faster than I thought. _

He began forming seals again, the staff flying from hand to hand. "Metal Style: Double Edge seeks the Soul!"

His counterpart's eyes widened in surprise, but he countered quickly. "Metal Style: Aura of Stillness!" His metal buckles and weapons convulsed once, then remained still.

The two of them eyed one another in the dark hallway, no other sounds to be heard. "You've gotten slow, Sarutobi."

The invader smiled and chuckled lightly. "What's your excuse, Gendo?"

"You know that they'll have you killed for this, Hokage or no." Gendo replied.

Sarutobi snorted. "As with all missing nin." He responded. "But also, as with all missing nin, first they have to find me. But enough. You have information I need."

"And I would care... why exactly?" Asked Gendo nonchalantly, as though he had no concern for facing down the most powerful ninja in Konoha.

"Because I will get that information from you, one way or another. I'm no Morino Ibiki, but I do manage."

Gendo nodded. "So the choice for me is between a quick death and a slow one, yes?" Gendo asked.

Sarutobi shrugged. "As ANBU Root, you have done more damage to this village than a host of invading shinobi. Damage all the more insidious because your presence is expected, and your position as ANBU makes you seem incorruptible."

"Very well then... I choose... OPTION 3!" Gendo cried, as interconnected tomoes spread across his skin, in the shape of branches and trees. Vines and branches erupted from both sides of the hallway, launching themselves at the aged ninja. _Curse mark?!_ Thought Sarutobi to himself as the plant life closed in. _And wood style jutsus... none since the Niidaime..._

Gendo snickered as there was silence in the hallway. "Caught you off guard, eh old man?" His chuckle was cut off with a grunt of pain as he looked down, incredulous, at the gory butt end of a metal pole extending from his guts. "Or.. not." He said with a gasp.

"Foolish boy... Did you never absorb the lesson from your classes, that metal jutsus defeat those of wood?" Sarutobi asked. "But it pains me to learn Root has taken up with Orochimaru."

Gendo knew he was a dead man. There was no time for him to get his mortally wounded body to a medic nin, even were he able to move full speed. The only thing holding his guts in his body was ironically the pole still in the wound. "They haven't. I'm slaved... to his will."

Sarutobi nodded, holding the pole as still as possible to avoid paining the man further. "Then tell me, quickly. Where is Danzou's true office?"

Gendo laughed, then shuddered at the pain the motion caused. In as few words as possible he told him.

Sarutobi sighed. "Then rest, now." With a hand practiced and experienced, he drove a hard palm heel strike into the base of the man's skull. The crunch of bone was loud in the hallway.

Sarutobi took the ceremonial headress of office from his head, and looked at it sadly, before taking a kunai and gouging the metal plate across the leaf symbol, before tucking the whole thing underneath the body.

Beside him, the metal staff returned back to the shape of Enma, the Monkey King. "You know, old friend, that there is no going back, now."

Sarutobi nodded. "That point was passed long ago. And now, like a cancer, that which is killing Konoha must be excised."

"They'll brand you a traitor."

"What matter a title?" Said Sarutobi. "Even as Hokage is a title, so too is traitor... And what I do, I do for the survival of Konoha, no matter what others think on the surface. To be a ninja is to see the secrets within the secrets, and regardless of my legacy, I shall protect Konoha as best I can."

Enma noded and vanished, and moments later, Sarutobi left the building as well.

Konoha slumbered on- none would find the bodies until morning.

End Interlude.

AN: Not as sudden as you think. If you don't understand immediately, go back and reread the other chapters- I've been dropping hints for a while now. To those of you who saw it coming, well, I'll admit subtlety is not my strong point. Hope you enjoy chapter twelve when it's released.

-AXENOME


	14. Chapter Twelve: Paper Tiger

Correction Note: Added the proper question three from my story notes (There was a mix up when I compared my questions to the few flashes of test sheets seen in the manga) so the question repeat between question 3 and 8 has been fixed. Many thanks to Wruth for finding this goof!

Previously: Team Seven returns to Konoha. Naruto, walking along thereafter, encounters three Sunagakure ninja, one of whom is bullying an Academy student. After terrorizing two and nearly getting into an explosive showdown with the third, the altercation is broken up by Kakashi and ANBU. Later, Team Seven is redesignated as team Akachi (Blood red) and granted a temporary fourth member, none other than Haku. Thus reinforced, team Akachi begins its way to the Academy to enter the chuunin exam, while one of the Suna nin begins spying on Naruto, trying to understand his motivations for replacing her weapon that he destroyed the day before...

Chapter Twelve: Paper Tiger

The halls were crowded with hopefuls. The four members of team Akachi walked up another set of stairs, only to see a group of genin surrounding the entrance to an auditorium style room. In front of the door, two dark haired genin in Konohai hitai-ate were staring down at a third, wearing green spandex, a bowl cut hairdo, and the largest, bushiest eyebrows Naruto had ever seen.

"Is someone as weak as you planning to take the Chuunin exams?" said the taller of the two. "Why bother?"

"Man, what a stupid little brat," commented his wild haired friend. "Hiroto, we can't let this kid past us. It'd be like killing him ourselves."

Naruto looked at the sign above the two obstructive genin from his position on the stairs. "Hey, Sasuke?" he asked.

Sasuke was watching the display of bullying with irritation. _Are these guys really strong enough to slap Lee around like that?_ he wondered. Out loud, he responded, "We're gonna be late at this rate. Make it fast, dobe."

Naruto ignored the name calling. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but... haven't we only gone up one flight of stairs?"

Sasuke snorted, "Yeah."

"So why does that sign over there say 301?" inquired Naruto.

Shikamaru and Haku looked at one another, then at the other two. "We came up two flights, guys," Shikamaru said.

Naruto and Sasuke exchanged a look of their own, before looking at the stairs behind them. Naruto covered his face with a hand. Sasuke sighed, and then put a hand on each of Haku and Shikamaru's foreheads, before charging a little chakra into their systems. "Kai!"

Shikamaru and Haku staggered slightly, before Shika looked behind himself at the stairs. "Genjutsu…" he muttered, "Kami, I feel like a rookie."

"Why didn't it affect us?" Naruto asked.

"If I had a guess," Sasuke said, "I'd say it has something to do with our sharingan. After all, wasn't a particularly powerful genjutsu. I'm betting somehow the sharingan protected us, even if it wasn't active."

The four of them noticed an awkward hush had fallen over the hallway, as first the Konoha genin, then the rest of the genin present, began to stare at Team Akachi.

As inconspicuously as they could, considering they were the focus of everyone's gaze, Team Akachi attempted to walk past the crowd and the two genin blocking the way to the room labeled '301'. Naruto felt a hand grab his collar, and his temper rise, drowning out his ethical reason.

"Where do you think you're going?" asked Hiroto. "Kaga, look at this little pipsqueak trying to sneak past us with his rookie buddies."

Sasuke looked at the hand gripping Naruto's new jacket, saw the expression on his comrade's face, and said firmly, "Naruto, he's Konoha, even if he is an idiot. No killing." He reached down and helped Lee to his feet.

"Killing?" snorted Kaga. "He couldn't kill a cockroach with gallon of insecticide."

The two Konoha bullies froze, rooted to the spot as Naruto began hitting them with killing intent. "This jacket is new. Please don't make me get your blood on it," he said.

The tall one paused, before shaking off the effects of Naruto's rage. "Big words, you little blond shrimp," he snapped.

"Three and one," Naruto replied, locking eyes with Hiroto. Hiroto found himself pinned in place, unable to move.

"W-what?" he asked. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Naruto smiled. "The number of chuunin and jonin I've killed. Three and one." Naruto paused. "I haven't kept count on the genin." Naruto looked away from Hiroto, down the hallway to a door that stood slightly ajar. "I see you, you know. I'd suggest you don't touch me again." A wave of slight shivers passed through the crowd that heard the menace in his voice.

Something in his voice apparently made a connection; the two obstructive genin stepped back. Naruto and his companions continued walking, the crowd of hopefuls parting to let them pass.

Behind them, Lee looked over at his teammates. "Neji, Tenten, I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?" asked Tenten.

"I want to check something out," Lee replied.

Neji scowled. "You're the one who wanted to keep a low profile. Did you forget?"

"I know, but I'm going after Naruto!" Lee called over his shoulder.

"Lee!" Neji called after him. "Don't forget what Gai-sensei said about Uzumaki!"

--

"So that's Team Seven," commented Hiroto.

"Team Akachi now, by the report I read this morning," said Kaga. "Interesting group, especially that Naruto kid. Even if he's full of hot air, at least he has the intimidation factor." Kaga ran a hand through his wild hair, helping absolutely nothing at all. "…'Three and one'… nice line."

"It wasn't an exaggeration," returned the taller proctor. "He's telling the truth exactly as he knows it."

The wild haired Kaga blinked before looking over at his comrade in surprise. "_Seriously_? Three chuunin _and_ a jonin?"

"As far as he knows," Hiroto said. "And we shouldn't be surprised. We were warned by Kakashi not to mess with him. He told us the kid was tough and touchy, and the others were every bit as mean, in their own way."

Kaga shook his head. "In all fairness, we couldn't have saved face if we'd just ignored them."

Hiroto laughed. "We didn't exactly save face the way things went anyhow, did we?"

--

Naruto stopped suddenly. "Sasuke. We're being followed by your spandex-wearing friend."

"Rock Lee," Sasuke commented.

"Think he's gonna start something?" asked Shikamaru. Haku waited, listening intently.

"Probably," Sasuke confirmed. "He had this huge inferiority complex, determined he was going to beat Neji. He's actually pretty strong, considering."

"Considering what?" asked Haku suddenly.

"Considering he's only got taijutsu. No genjutsu, ninjutsu... Nothing. Just physical attacks and tools," Sasuke clarified.

"So," said a voice from behind them, "you decided to wait for me."

Team Akachi turned casually to face the spandex-clad genin.

"Hello, Lee," Sasuke muttered with a half lidded gaze. "Again."

"My comrade in arms!" exclaimed Lee, snapping to a perfect taijutsu stance. "I'm not here to challenge you!"

Haku stepped forward. "Naruto-sama, please. Allow me to fight on your behalf!"

Naruto looked over at Haku for a moment, before shrugging. "Uh... sure, if you want. But he's Konoha, so don't kill him, or hurt him so bad he can't take the test."

Shikamaru gave Naruto a long suffering look that screamed, "Not everyone is for killing if you fight them," but Naruto seemed singly unaffected. Haku stepped forward, senbon poised and ready. With a sudden burst of speed, he darted forward and threw, looking to paralyze Lee's leg, but the green clad genin snatched the senbon out of the air. "You are fast," Lee noted. "But..."

Lee's after image faded. Haku felt a hard impact in the middle of his chest. As he tumbled backwards, gasping for breath, he vaguely registered through his disorientation Lee standing from a crouching position where Haku had been standing. Lee slowly retracted his elbow. "…you are no match for me," Lee finished, reassuming his ready stance.

Haku flipped to his feet, eyes narrowed, before pulling out a water bottle. "Then prepare yourself," he hissed angrily.

Naruto put a hand on Haku's shoulder. Haku froze, saw Naruto's hand, and looked back at him, a small blush growing. "Haku, that's enough. I've seen what I needed to see." Naruto's eyes were engaged in the Kamigan. "You're not strong enough to take him."

"How can you--" Haku began, but Naruto cut him off.

"He's wearing ankle weights; massive enough and dense enough that I can't see through them," Naruto replied. "He's completely out of your league."

Sasuke's eyes widened. "How much weight, Lee?"

Lee smiled. "Fifteen hundred pounds!"

"Seven hundred-fifty per leg?!" Shikamaru exclaimed with a look of incredulity.

"Oh no. That _was_ per leg. Three thousand total," Lee said proudly.

Naruto gave a low whistle. A genin literally walking around wearing a ton and a half of weight, moving like that. A kick from him would literally be like getting hit dead on by a charging bull. A kick with that kind of weight behind it would kill most people on a glancing blow.

Naruto began assessing what he knew of his own speed, with Kyuubi enhancing him, compared to the kind of speed he'd be up against should the green clad genin take those weights off. There's no way he'd be able to take him down in a non-lethal fashion.

"Uzumaki Naruto. Fight me! I wish to test myself against you!" Lee demanded, his face becoming serious. "Come! Now!"

Naruto smiled. "Nah. You win."

Lee's face darkened in confusion. "What? We haven't even fought yet!"

Naruto turned around and started walking. "And we're not going to fight." He said over his shoulder. "I couldn't fight you and win without killing you, and I'm not really keen on killing Konoha nin if I can avoid it."

Lee stood there watching helplessly as the four members of Team Akachi went on their way. _Did he really mean... that he'd kill me?_ he thought to himself in bewilderment, with a small trace of fear. _Am I really so weak compared to him?_

--

Room 301 — the _real_ one — was big. Three dozen wide tables, enough to seat six people per side, sat in two rows. Each table was accompanied by a long, low backed bench, facing the front of the room, and either side of the room was lined with chairs. People of all sizes and sorts were spread out about the room, clustering in groups or just milling about, waiting for someone to tell them what to do next. About a third of them had their forms out and ready; the rest presumably had them put away.

Naruto ignored Sasuke's encounter with several of his fangirls, Ino and Sakura. The latter... Naruto had once been smitten by her. But now, he found himself looking at her with an emptiness bordering on indifference. An emptiness that somehow ached. It seemed so long ago that he'd been enamored of the brainy, funny, pretty girl. So long ago he'd wished she'd stop looking at Sasuke and look at him, instead.

Before... Iruka.

Iruka-sensei. When Naruto had come back, he'd been the first to try and get Naruto instated as a genin. He'd pushed for it with the Hokage, fought to get Naruto into the shinobi ranks. Then...

Then he'd been sent to kill Naruto. An image flashed in his mind, a fuma shuriken impaling a tall, lanky body, embedded into concrete...

Naruto pulled a small flask out of his new jacket, flipped open the lid, took a quick swig. It burned, going down. It was cheap stuff, but Anko had been right. It helped forget. For a little while, at least. He thumbed the lid closed and put it back into his jacket, and after a minute, when the buzz hit, he began to feel normal again. Or, at least, okay.

And as his mind was starting to relax, Naruto was distracted. With more than one hundred fifty people in the room to keep track of, without the aid of the Kamigan. And suddenly, with no idea who or how, a pair of slim, strong arms slipped around him, hugging him from behind.

Naruto engaged the Kamigan, preparing to ram an elbow into his assailant, reaching for a kunai with the other hand, when he checked his impulse. It was... Hinata?

Looking confused, Naruto stood uncomfortably, alarm just starting to register on people's faces, as he slowly relaxed his stance and released the Kamigan. "Hello... Hyuuga-san," he said slowly.

The other genin seemed uncertain how to react to this. As far as Shikamaru and Sasuke had seen, Naruto had checked his attack before he'd even properly begun it. Usually, anyone this close to Naruto was bleeding profusely. Even they had only tried catching him unawares once, and had each come uncomfortably close to his kunai in the process.

Kiba seemed to be the first to resolve his confusion. "Hey!" he snapped, fixing Naruto with a glare. "Stop hanging all over Hinata!"

Noticing Naruto's reaction, Hinata blushed, then released him quickly, before giving a short bow.

Shikamaru snapped out of his bewilderment, instead fixing Kiba with a look of irritation. "So you're blind _and_ stupid?" inquired Shikamaru impatiently. "In case you weren't watching, she hugged him."

Kiba settled for giving Shikamaru the finger.

"Can you guys shut up?" said a pony-tailed genin in a Konoha hitai-ite. "You guys are all rookies, right? First year genin, still wet behind the ears, fresh out of the Academy and certain you're all the best thing to happen to the shinobi world. This isn't a school field trip, you know."

"And you would be?" asked Sasuke, clearly unimpressed.

"Name's Kabuto," he answered. "And you guys need to start looking over your shoulders."

The cluster of rookie Konoha genin looked behind them to see a trio of ninja wearing the hitai-ite of Amagakure. The three were maintaining a gaze filled with the promise of violence in the direction of the Rookie Ten.

"Watch out for Amagakure nin," Kabuto said. "They tend to use chemicals to increase their shinobi's strength and aggression. Ama nin are notorious for having short fuses and violent tempers. You should remember everyone here is stressed out and on edge; it's best to keep a low profile or someone's gonna snap and beat the crap out of you."

Naruto was only paying cursory attention, as he'd noticed Haku leveling a cold, angry stare at Hinata, who at first was puzzled, but then looked back at Naruto, blushed again, and was now returning it in spades. _What's going on between those two?_ Naruto wondered. Kyuubi didn't bother to answer.

"…Seventh."

Naruto blinked as he realized he'd missed something. Kabuto continued, "Twice a year for... going on four years, now."

"Wow!" said Sakura, who by this time had joined the conversation. "So you've got a lot of experience with what we can expect!"

Kabuto smirked slightly. "You could say that."

"In that case, this calls for an alliance," said Naruto levelly. "Where we can, we help one another. You by providing us with intelligence, and us by providing you with backup if we get the chance later on."

Kabuto favored Naruto with a searching look, extending to Shikamaru, Sasuke, and Haku. After a moment, his expression gave way to one of grudging respect. "All right, then. Consider this my down payment for your help in the second phase of the test. That's where I'll need your help."

Kabuto pulled out a stack of cards. "These are shinobi skill cards. They contain information about the skills we use, among other things. This deck represents the efforts of four years of research. There's almost two hundred cards."

"What if someone steals them?" asked Shikamaru.

"Wouldn't do them any good," Kabuto said with a grin. "The cards key themselves to the chakra of the person who codes them." He held one up, where the other genin could see it was apparently blank.

Naruto gave a small smile of his own, watching the card intently. He had the Kamigan up again. Kabuto, focused on the cards, didn't notice. Sasuke, however, did. _Naruto, what are you doing?_ he thought to himself.

--

Naruto filtered out most of the room, focusing on what his eyes were telling him about the cards in Kabuto's hands.

They were almost indistinguishable from cardboard to the naked eye, but embedded in their construction were thousands of tiny, chakra reactive threads. By focusing on the card with a specific image in mind, the card absorbed the image through the chakra pathways in the user's hands. Thereafter, dependant on charging the card with the correct pattern, the card would create a tiny force field genjutsu in three dimensions until the chakra it had been charged with leaked away.

The _interesting_ part of it all was that a card could apparently store multiple layers of information accessible only by the application of the proper chakra pattern. And a number of those cards in Kabuto's deck had multiple patterns stored in them. The question was, did Kabuto know this?

Naruto watched carefully, memorizing the flow of chakra Kabuto used. After Kabuto finished charging up the card, Naruto released the Kamigan. _Hey, Bii-san... You think we can do that?_****

Which part? Embedding an image or calling up one stored by someone else?

__

Both.

****

I am certain that we can embed an image; it's a trivial exercise in chakra management. Calling up another's usage would be… tricky. But I believe we could do it, given enough study of the pattern beforehand.

"Hey, what are all those little bars?" Naruto asked aloud.

The bars in question were stacked over a map of the local countries, with a legend on the bottom detailing each bar, and the nation and village associated with it.

"It shows how many applicants from each shinobi nation are being sent to the exams this season," Kabuto answered.

"You called them shinobi skill cards. That map, while interesting, doesn't seem to have much to do with anybody's skill other than your own for storing information," Sasuke commented. "I assume you have dossier cards as well? For each individual applicant?"

Kabuto chuckled. "You looking for someone in particular?" he asked. "I'll admit the set is far from complete, but I've burned a set of dossier cards for most of the current pool of applicants... including your team."

"Hedging your bets in a search for allies?" asked Kiba in a moment of astute deduction — something so out of character for him that eight of the other Rookie Ten looked at him in surprise. Kiba was a dedicated genin and a solidly dependable individual, but he was a tad less than an ace detective.

"Yes, you could say that," replied Kabuto. "With the information I've gathered for this try, I might even succeed this year. I'll take whatever advantage I can get."

Sasuke looked at Kabuto with narrowed eyes. "Alright, then. What do you have for Subaku no Gaara from Sunagakure, and Uzumaki Naruto from Konoha?"

Naruto shot a look first at Sasuke, then Shikamaru. _Has Shikamaru been reporting on me to Sasuke?_

"Hmmm. Interesting set of choices," Kabuto said, pulling two cards out of the stack after a moment. Charging them with chakra, he set them down on the ground.

Naruto's card described him as a Wind chakra oriented ninja. "Uzumaki Naruto. Known prankster, settled down greatly after attaining genin status. Age 14. Hmm…" said Kabuto, glancing between the two cards with a look clearly indicating he was impressed. "Four C-rank and one B-rank. Impressive! Most genin never even see a B-rank mission. Hmm. Considered the most volatile genin in Konoha."

Turning his attention to Gaara's card, he said, "Subaku no Gaara. Interesting... He's also a wind type. Now he's from way out in the desert so I don't have as much on him, but he's got 8 C-rank and also has a B-rank." Kabuto's eyes flicked from card to card. "It would seem the two of you have a lot in common... Except..."

"Except..?" prompted Naruto.

"Except he's apparently returned from every mission he's been assigned completely unscathed. Not even a scratch."

Naruto thought back to his shredded jacket, his second fight with Zabuza. Both had been pretty rough. He'd not been severely injured in either fight, but to have completed a B-rank mission unscathed...

Naruto grinned. _He'd be fun to fight._

Sakura blinked nervously. "Is everyone in the exam...?"

Kabuto chuckled. "Oh, yeah. There are standouts, of course, as in anything. But everyone in this exam is special; elite, hand-picked shinobi, the best talent in the world. And they have to be. This test is pitiless. Injury, maiming, death, they happen every time, to multiple entrants."

Naruto looked back at the map card. "It says there's only three here from Otogakure. What do you have on them?"

Kabuto frowned. "Not much. There really isn't anything _to_ have on them. They're a new village; until recently, their country didn't really have the resources to train shinobi for this kind of ordeal."

--

The three sound nin, unbeknownst to the Rookie Ten, were listening from their seats near the front of the room.

"So," Zaku said with a resentful sneer. "According to this dossier of his, Otogakure is an unknown village in a backwater country."

"Mortifying, isn't it?" responded Dosu.

"Want to have some fun with them?" asked Kin, fingering some of her senbon.

"Heh. Sounds good," said Dosu, flexing his wrist. "Let's give him a little intel for his dossier: that treating we who hide in Sound as some kind of afterthought is... an un-sound strategy."

Kabuto had shown Naruto the basic technique of how to store information on a card. Naruto had proceeded to make a mock card of Shikamaru, with a pineapple for a head. This set off a round of laughter amongst the genin, until Shikamaru did one of Naruto in a bright orange jacket, with a button reading 'Dobe!' in large, crayon style letters, wearing a hitai-ite in the shape of a dunce cap. Sasuke laughed the hardest, until Naruto did a mock-up of Sasuke with his shirt collar up over his face and a thought bubble reading, "Oh, no! Even MY eyes can't help me now!" Kabuto laughed so hard his glasses fell off.

He almost missed the kunai as they flew in. Almost on instinct, he skipped back, his cards scattering as two of them were pinned to the ground. A fist came in at eye level; Kabuto rocked back on his heels. For a moment, he was fine. Then, something warm and wet splashed his face as the blurriness in front of him suddenly got worse.

Kabuto had no time to consider any of this; everything had gone silent on his left side, and his inner ear was telling him the room was in a blender. He lurched forward and vomited violently. Dimly he registered several screams, some muted impacts and scuffling. He groped, found his glasses, and put them on. Looking up and wiping his mouth, he saw Naruto's team standing in a half circle around him facing outward, with multiple higher-level ninja surrounding them.

"What the hell is going on here?" demanded a heavily scarred jonin in a black leather trench coat.

Kabuto's eyes then registered a number of things: the massive sword in Naruto's hands, the blood still dripping from the blade, the headless body on the floor in a growing pool of blood.

Blood dripping down his own face, Naruto was speaking. "The Otogakure genin attacked Kabuto," he said emotionlessly. "He was using a wrist-born sound amplification device. It incapacitated him. Anyone who attacks a citizen of Konoha in my presence… their life is forfeit."

Kabuto was stunned. He didn't register much else. For the next several minutes he repaired his ruptured eardrum, while the proctors questioned the other genin in the room, before nodding and taking up positions in the sides of the room.

The scarred jonin's words to someone else nearby were the next thing he remember as his inner ear settled down. "Then you acted in defense of a comrade. But you made a mess in the back of my classroom. I expect that to be cleaned up, or I'll charge you with littering."

The scarred jonin turned to face the other two Otogakure genin, who were standing shivering, staring numbly at the corpse of their teammate, still cooling in his drying pool of blood. "As for you two, this exam is open solely to those who have the maturity to follow mission parameters, and to curb the reckless impulses of members of their cell who don't otherwise control themselves. Since only a complete cell can enter the exam, and since your teammate unwisely got himself butchered, the rest of his cell is disqualified with him. A dead body can't become a chuunin; although," he added with a cold, thin smile, "a chuunin certainly _can_ become a dead body."

Naruto shrugged, creating several Kage Bunshin to begin cleaning up the mess. The proctors and Team Akachi alike otherwise ignored it, something that chilled the other genin even more. The scarred jonin said, "I am Morino Ibiki. I'm the proctor and chief examiner for this first part of the chuunin exams. The... incident earlier underlines the need to lay down a few ground rules for the rest of this exam. First, from this point forward, there will be no fighting without the express permission of the examining officer. Any of you piglets who break this rule are out. No second chances. Not to mention taking your life into your own hands, as we've already seen."

He continued, "Now, when you hand in your application up here at the desk, you will take a seating arrangement card, and report directly to the seat indicated. When everyone is seated, we will hand out the written portion of the test."

--

Hinata felt the same sense of possessiveness over Naruto as she had when Kurenai had informed her that her mission was being retracted. At first, she had been stunned by the idea that the boy on Naruto's team might have feelings for him. True, he was a pretty faced boy, but contrary to popular belief, not ALL pretty boys were into other guys. But then, when he had glared at her so hard after she'd hugged Naruto, slowly she began to think that there might be something there after all.

As she handed in her application, and received her number, she looked over at the body suited, new Konoha nin. She'd wished very much she could have seen his dossier card; if she had to fight him for Naruto she wanted to know everything about him that she could.

She realized suddenly as she approached her seat that she was next to him. _One hundred fifty seats in this room and I get the one next to him! _

She thought to herself. Her heart pounded as she sat down next to him, where he sat lost in thought. Biting her lip, she resolved she wasn't going to let this opportunity slip by. _I won't do it! I won't give up Naruto to HIM without a fight!_

--

_We've all been separated, _Naruto thought to himself irritably. _I hate tests._

"Naruto."

Naruto gave a little start. Hinata was sitting next to him. Again, he'd somehow not noticed her approaching. This was starting to bother him. "Hinata! I... didn't see you there."

Hinata bit her lip, then, almost hesitantly, reached out her hand and placed it in Naruto's. His shock was complete. "Hinata! Wh-what-"

Hinata's eyes closed and she sighed, as a small smile graced her lips. "You won't fail this test, Naruto-kun." She squeezed his hand gently.

Naruto looked at Hinata blankly, at a complete loss. He realized he'd curled his hand around hers, and it was... sort of pleasant. Naruto closed his eyes.

The Sound nin's head rolled off his shoulders again, blood spattering Kabuto, Sasuke, Sakura. Sakura freezing in horror and screaming; Sasuke absently wiping the blood off his arm with a look of annoyance.

Naruto shuddered, and almost cried. Taking his hand from Hinata's, he reached inside his jacket and pulled out the flask again.

"Naruto, what are you..." blurted Hinata, before her eyes told her the story of a terrible grief, a self loathing. The smell of alcohol hit her as Naruto took several hard swallows and wiped away the tear on his cheek. He wheezed a second, took one more swallow, and recapped the flask, before muttering, "Shed it like an old skin and forget about it."

"Papers face down until I give the word." Ibiki snapped from the front of the room as the proctors handed out the papers. "Now, listen up. There's a few big rules that pertain to this first test."

Ibiki's fingers held a piece of chalk, which he began writing on the black board with. "I'll write them down and explain them all, but I'm NOT taking questions, so listen carefully. I will say this once and only once."

_No questions? _Naruto wondered, feeling the buzz hit him again, a little harder this time.

"Rule number one! Each team starts with thirty points. The test has ten questions, each worth one point. Rule number two! This test remains a team event. For each question you answer incorrectly, we deduct a point from your team total. Thus, if each member of the team misses one question, their team has lost a total of three points. The object of this exam is to lose as few points as possible."

"Hey, wait a second!" Naruto said, the buzz still intensifying and wondering if this was a particularly good idea, not that he let it stop him. "What about us, we got four people on our team."

Ibiki growled, "Did you not hear the part about no questions? We have our reasons. Your team receives no extra points simply because you have an extra member. Shut up and listen; you might learn something."

Naruto rocked back in his seat.

Ibiki continued, "The next part is crucial. Rule number three: If, during the course of the exam, a candidate does anything unusual, anything that leads the proctors to believe he or she is cheating, we subtract two points from each member of the cheaters team. Yes, that applies to every team."

Naruto grimaced. _This keeps getting better and better. _

"In all probability, some of you will run through your entire allotment of points. If you do, you'll be failed along with your team and... asked... to leave."

"I'll be looking over your shoulder when you least expect it," commented Hiroto from the side of the room, where he sat with a clipboard, grinning at Naruto.

"If you let the proctors catch you cheating, you'll bring down yourselves and your friends!" said Ibiki.

_LET them catch you? _Naruto thought. _What does he mean, 'Let'?_

"And one more thing," Ibiki continued. "If any person loses ten points, between failed answers and cheating, that person's entire team fails, regardless of how the others do."

Sasuke and Shikamaru's eyes darted immediately to Naruto, where he sat looking relaxed, perhaps even a little drunk.

This was going to be trouble.

"You all strive to be chuunin, to be the best ninja you can be. So act like it!" Ibiki finished. "The first stage of the exam begins... Now!"

--

Question 1: Decode the following one hundred twenty eight digit message. Define the cipher concept and summarize its meaning.

--

_Naruto has bombed every written test he's ever taken, _thought Shikamaru.

What's he gonna do?

Shikamaru's eyes narrowed as he turned over his page and looked at the questions. _This stuff isn't the sort of thing any of us have been taught. They can't possibly expect us to-_

Shikamaru suddenly smiled. _Of course._

Shikamaru's shadow reached out in small threads to contact those of his three teammates. He put their heads lower, bringing their hands into view, before quickly using hand signals.

-Test not for knowledge. Test our ability gather information. Do not get caught.-

Shikamaru released the jutsu and popped his neck, looking at the proctors. None of them seemed to have noticed.

Naruto smiled. Too easy. Kamigan!

--

Question 2: The parabola marked B represents the greatest effective distance the enemy shinobi, A, could throw a shuriken from the top of a 23.3 foot tall tree. Calculate the range of the shuriken's effectiveness, assuming a throwing speed of ninety miles per hour, for shinobi A's assault on any enemy shinobi operating within the area the flight of that shuriken describes. Show your work.

--

There was a scraping noise as a Suna nin stood up and said, "You know... the one thing I keep wondering, is how many of the top ranking teams they intend to pass."

Beside her Sakura looked first at the Suna nin, then expectantly at Ibiki.

Ibiki began laughing. "I don't see how knowing that is going to help you. Unless you want to fail but make it look like you tried?"

As the sand nin sat down, Sakura bit her lip and looked over at Kiba.

--

Question 3: The following is a relief map. Based on the positions of Shinobi A, Shinobi B, and Shinobi C, in conjunction with the positions of shurikens D through J, calculate the agressor, the defender, and the target. Deduce the likeliest winner(s) of this scenario. Show your work.

--

A short stir of restlessness, like a slight ripple in the group, presaged the general epiphany of the purpose of this portion of the exam. Bit by bit, each of the genin began using their extraordinary talents to discover the answers to the test.

--

Question 4: In one hundred words or less, describe how the promulgation of peace between the Fire country and the Rock country accelerated the Second Shinobi War when fighting finally broke out.

--

Neji activated his Byakugan, searching the room for the shinobi, whomever it might be, who was the ringer. His search was interrupted as his awareness touched on Naruto.

Neji was the most talented user of the Byakugan and Jyuuken in all the Hyuuga clan, whether main family or branch. He recognized the dojutsu Naruto was using was indeed a Byakugan; or rather, the Byakugan was a part of it. But where the Byakugan was a torch of chakra activity in a place where most could barely claim a candle, Naruto's chakra infused mind shone like a bonfire. Moreover, Naruto had more chakra in him than any ten people Neji had ever met. _He can't possibly be a lost one. Naruto was born a year before I was, and the lost ones left the Hyuuga clan just before I was born._

Neji pondered this for a while. _Could he be the result of an... indiscretion by a member of the Hyuuga clan? If so, it would explain why the Hokage has spent so much time protecting him and keeping his family lineage secret. It would have been a terrible blow against the reputation of the Hokage if it were public knowledge that he'd used a Hyuuga to seal the Kyuubi, even an illegitimate one._

Neji shook off that theory also. _No. Hyuuga blood is dominant; in any bloodline where the Byakugan awakens, the eyes are the same. Nobody can hide a Hyuuga's eyes, but Naruto's eyes are blue. For all that he bears something similar to the Byakugan, he doesn't have Hyuuga eyes._

Neji broke off his examination and began searching for the ringer. _Need to keep my priorities straight. First things first._

_--_

_Question 5: A team of shinobi are forced by injury to halt for several days. Between the three of them, they have sixty yards of wire. Assuming that their gear kit does not include any variant of the general purpose ninjato, and their terrain includes at least four old growth conifers within ten yards, what is the best set up for their encampment on the first, second, and third days of recuperation?_

_--_

Naruto found a total of eight genin in the exam who were independantly solving the second question: Five from Konoha, and one each from Takigakure, Sunagakure, and Kusagakure. Everyone else was copying from one of them. By comparing their answers simultaneously, Naruto learned more about trigonometric and applied motion physics than he'd learned in his entire time at the academy- But then, he hadn't had the immense calculation power of the Kamigan then, either.

Naruto, for the first time in his life was enjoying the feeling of book learning. By the time they were ten minutes into the test, he'd finished six answers- and he'd recalculated question two entirely on his own.

Naruto was steadily increasing the flow of chakra to his Kamigan as the test wore on, adding virtual nerves constantly, reshaping dendritic connections, altering the very flow of chemistry in his brain. Part of his mind was monitoring all the papers around him, including those on the proctor's clipboards. Another part was eagerly cataloguing everything he was learning about each subject on the test. Another part was cataloguing everything he was learning about the other participants in the exam, and how they were cheating. One of the more interesting ones was someone from Takigakure, who was extending his chakra senses to encompass the room, then increasing the humidity around one of the Konoha nin who was answering the questions on his own. His senses were reacting to the motions of the Konoha nin's pencil, and relaying the information on pencil strokes back to him.

Of all the information he was learning, the knowledge about the other participants was the most valuable.Naruto had no doubt that at some point in the future the Genin teams were likely to be pitted against one another in a very physical sense. Anything he could learn might be vital.

**HEY, KID. AT THIS RATE YOU'RE GOING TO BURN THROUGH ALL OF YOUR CHAKRA. **

_Then give me some of yours._ Naruto replied absently with another portion of his mind that he split off to talk with Kyuubii.

Naruto felt a change come over him- more chakra pumped into his system, his nails started growing, and he felt his eyes... changing somehow. He had no means of knowing it but he'd activated the Mangekyou in the middle of the Kamigan- a first for him. His altered form noted several of the proctors starting to turn their heads in his direction- in a panic, his mind reacted, anything to buy time to hide-

Naruto's chakra pulsed. His eyes throbbed in sync with the single pulse; a sharp pain stabbed through his head, and for a moment, everything seemed to blur slightly, before clearing up almost immediately.

Everything stopped. Naruto felt... drained, as though he'd expended an enormous amount of chakra all at once.

**KID... WHAT DID YOU DO?**

Naruto didn't answer, instead gazing around at the stillness of everything around him. He could see one of Shino's bugs, its wings moving at a crawl as it went through the motion of its wing beat. _It's... still moving... What's holding it up in the air?_

**AT A GUESS... I'D SAY ITS LAST WING BEAT. **Replied Kyuubii. **SOMEHOW, KID, YOU MANAGED TO... SLOW TIME DOWN?**

_TIME!_ Naruto thought. _Of course! I needed time, and... it... happened? But... How?_

**THE KAMIGAN, AS YOU CALL IT. SOMEHOW, WHEN YOU ACTIVATED THE MANGEKYOU JUST NOW, YOU LEARNED HOW TO DO SOMETHING WITH IT.**

Naruto replayed the series of events in his mind. He ran his actions, his chakra flow, through again in his mind. _Yeah... I could do that again, too... I seem to be able to move around normally... _

**KID, YOU NEEDED TIME. YOU GOT IT. BUT YOU BETTER DO SOMETHING WITH IT, CAUSE IT'S APPARENTLY RUNNING OUT AGAIN.**

Naruto realized Kyuubii was right. The bug was finishing its wing beat, and started another one, moving faster. Naruto didn't hesitate, using a quick henge, replacing his current appearance with that of his normal, everyday appearance. The bug's wings were beating, faster and faster, and suddenly, everything went back to normal. Naruto sagged a little. _Bii san... I'm gonna need that chakra, kinda quick here. _

The proctors were looking at him, puzzled, then around at the rest of the room. Naruto ignored it, toning down the feed of chakra and letting the Mangekyou drop away to more normal levels of sharingan. The infusion of chakra from the kyuubii helped him swallow his discomfort and refocus on his page.

**IMPRESSIVE, KID. YOU'VE MANAGED TO DO SOMETHING WITH THE SHARINGAN THAT EVEN UCHIHA MADERA NEVER DREAMED.**

--

Question 6: Choose one of the following: Henge no Jutsu(Ninjutsu), Kawarimi no Jutsu(Taijutsu), or Bunshin no Jutsu(Genjutsu).

In one hundred words or less, explain why your choice is taught to genin of all nations, and why it is intrinsically superior to other jutsus taught of its school at all later levels of the arts practiced by shinobi. Exceeding one hundred words in this explanation is an automatic miss for this question, regardless of the answer's validity.

--

Slowly, but in ever increasing numbers, the applicant teams were whittled down. The test had gone on for half an hour now; already twelve teams had been eliminated.

Next to Naruto, Hinata murmured softly, "You did something earlier, when the proctors were all looking around... didn't you? I could almost see it... except... it was strange."

Naruto replied just as quietly. "What if I did?"

Hinata smiled, still not looking at him- except, he could see she had her byakugan up. Yet she seemed suddenly nervous. She bit her lower lip, unsure of herself, then said, "N-naruto..."

Naruto wrinkled his brow a little. "Uh... what?"

Hinata gulped slightly. "Kurenai sensei... sh-she gave me a m-mission..." She began to blush again. "A mission... that I wanted... a-and... then sh-she took it away f-from m-me."

Naruto was suddenly very uncomfortable, and he couldn't even say why.

Hinata's expression softened as she seemed to collect herself, and she started again. "She said that you were under a terrible strain... that you were becoming dangerous to yourself. She said your stress n-needed to b-be relieved..." Hinata's cheeks reddened further. "She gave m-me a mission to s-seduce y-you."

Naruto's eyes widened. _You mean... that whole thing was to... try to get me to let my guard down? But if not to kill me, then why?_

**SOUNDS MORE LIKE IT WAS TO HELP YOU RELAX.** Kyuubii replied. **TO BE FAIR, HER TEACHER HAS A POINT. YOU HAVEN'T SLEPT A FULL NIGHT IN MONTHS, HAVEN'T SLEPT MORE THAN A TOTAL OF AN HOUR IN ANY NIGHT IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS... EVER SINCE YOUR FIRST DELIBERATE KILL, AGAINST ZABUZA AND GATO. YOU HARDLY EVEN EAT, ANYMORE- WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU HAD RAMEN?**

Naruto felt a quease in his stomach at the thought of what had been his favorite food. _Someone... something like me... doesn't have the right to enjoy something like that. I'm a killer... a monster... and when I do it I love it, love fighting, even love the killing... what kind of a protector does that make me? That I can enjoy something like that, it's WRONG, I can't, I-_

"Naruto..." Hinata said, closing her eyes. "Kurenai sensei said it was too risky, after the mission, said to do it for the mission would risk our friendship... that I would have to make up my own decision... I would have to pursue my own agenda..." Hinata took a deep breath, then opened her eyes and looked at him, directly in the face. In a conversational volume but filled with determination, she said, "I have made my decision... You are mine, Uzumaki Naruto... and I mean to have you, whatever that takes."

Naruto's mental prowess, enhanced heavily by the Kamigan, ground to a complete halt, and he spoke back to her the undercurrent that had subconsciously driven him since Iruka's conversation with Mizuki: "I am not worth having- and I belong only to Konoha, to be used until I am broken. Then... I will be no more."

Hinata looked at him in disbelief. "You can't believe that- I won't let this-"

The entirety of all activity in the exam halted, as Ibiki and the other proctors stared at the two. "Two points from each of you. And if either of you disrupt my exam again I'll fail both your teams." Ibiki said.

As the test resumed, only those in the room with Byakugan noticed the glare of hate that Haku was directing at Hyuuga Hinata.

--

Question 7: Define the strategic uses of a theoretical poison with the properties listed below. Postulate the necessary dosage and side effects of the most likely hypothetical antidote, based on there attributes.

--

There was a short interuption as a candidate protested his disqualification from cheating. The proctor assigned to him slammed him into a wall and verbally put him in his place. By this point, Naruto had finished the other nine questions, and all but expended utterly his available chakra. As he napped, the kyuubii funneled chakra into him, recharging the blond as best he could, but was forced to take it slow lest he alert the proctors to his activity.

--

Question 8: A shinobi is sent to infiltrate a three story building without knowledge of the building's interior. Devise an algorithm by which the shinobi can deduce the separate locations of both the armory and the personal chamber of the building's VIP based on guard density and patrol routes.

--

Forty minutes in. Sasuke flipped over his paper. Done, now. He stretch and popped his neck, looked around the room at various people. _Ninety one applicants still here. Either they're smnart, or they're slick._ Sasuke thought. He shot a look over at Naruto, who was asleep and drooling on his test sheet. _Well, most of them, anyway._ He amended mentally.

--

Question 9: Reassess question number 5. This time, the team in question has a total of only twenty four yards of wire, and all of the members are carrying the model 6 general purpose ninjato. Readjust your strategy to account for this change in equipment. Does this gear swap increase or decrease that team's chances for survival on the first, second, and third days?

--

Naruto woke up feeling... dirty, somehow. Or perhaps, slightly contaminated. Blinking at the clock, he realized it had only been about six or seven minutes since he'd fallen asleep. Not enough time to dream, thankfully. With a sudden deep breath that was more than a sigh but less than a yawn, he looked over his shoulder at the clock on the wall. Seventeen minutes to go. That meant...

He looked back at question 10 on the sheet.

--

Question 10: Forty five minutes into the exam, the chief proctor will present the final question. At that time, answer the proctor's question to the best of your ability. This question is subject to special rules.

--

_What the heck do they mean by special rules?_ Naruto wondered.

Ibiki's cold eyes flicked across the room. "All right. The time has come. You all have fifteen minutes left in the exam. It's time for me to give the final question... But before we get to the question itse;f, there is one additional rule that applies." He stopped as the door in the back of the class opened- that sand nin Kankuro walked in. Ibiki felt a moment of amusement as the "Proctor" walked in with him. _Very slick on his part. _"You're just in time. Looks like all the time you spent playing with dolls has paid off." Kankuro hesitated, looking uncertain. Ibiki waved him off. "Nevermind. Just sit down."

Ibiki could feel the tension mount. "The rule I am about to relate is ABSOLUTE." He had the undivided attention of the entire assembly of genin. "First, you must choose whether to accept the question or reject it." He allowed the genin a few seconds to let this sink in.

Subaku no Temari broke the silence. "Choose? What happens if someone doesn't accept the question?!"

Ibiki's eyes were cold and deadly focused; the eyes of a shark long since accustomed to the game of stalk and kill; the eyes of a tiger eyeing meat that was still moving. "If you reject the question, and don't even try to answer it, you lose all your points immediately and fail. And your team mates fail right along with you."

A takigakure nin exploded, "Why would anyone reject it?"

Ibiki's presence was terrifying, commanding. His voice rang like the bell of doom. "If you choose to try to answer the question, and you get it wrong, you will never be permitted to apply for the chuunin exams again. Not ever."

There was an explosion of protests, most along the lines of applicants who'd already sat the chuunin exams in previous years. Ibiki cut them off with a laugh. "I wasn't making the rules in past years. I am now."

Ibiki surveyed the cowed genin with satisfaction. "I've been up front with you. You can take a failing grade now, and try again later. If you have doubts, you'd be smart to try again next year."

Several of the genin were outright shaking, now. Ibiki gauged their panic, then decided it was now probably the best time do it. "Ready, they? If you choose not to accept, raise your hand. Once your number is confirmed, you and your team will leave the room."

Naruto broke out into a cold sweat. This was something he couldn't cheat his way out of. Something he couldn't bull force his way through. Something no amount of jutsu could overcome.

There was a minute of silence, before a konoha nin broke. His hand shot into the air. "I- I quit! I'm sorry, Kenohi, Surimi, I just... Can't!"

"Twenty six, you're out. Eighty five, one twelve, you're out with him." Ibiki said.

After that, it was ugly. Before five more minutes had passed, the room held only fifty eight people. Ibiki felt like waiting a little longer- the Kyuubii kid looked like he was ready to break. It WAS interesting, though. Of the seven Konoha teams remaining, all three of the rookie teams were still here. _Too new to know they should be scared? Or are they really as good as their jonin instructors think they are?_ Ibiki pondered.

Suddenly, Naruto laughed. His alarm showed in his face, as he clapped his hand across his mouth, remembered what Ibiki had said before about interrupting. And if Ibiki hadn't discussed team Akachi earlier with the Council, and their decision to have him run across Subaku no Gaara in the exam rather than in the village, he might have been tempted. But no. His laughter seemed to have broken the spell Ibiki had woven over the room. There weren't going to be any more leavers.

"Very well, then. The tenth question..." Ibiki looked around the room expectantly, then said, "You have just answered. Everyone still in this room, you have passed the first portion of the Chuunin exams."

"A confidence game." Said Neji.

"Moreso than you can possibly know." Ibiki replied. "That is the measure of confidence you must know, must HAVE, to be chuunin. To be cel leaders, strategists, you must be willing to step foot into the unknown without all the information you want. No briefing is ever as detailed as you will want, and no map perfectly described. Some of each are very sketchy indeed... so what do you do? Do you reject the mission in favor of one whose conditions you know better, or do you take the mission because it is your duty? You cannot be a chuunin taking the safe route. There are no two ways about it- you must still step into the unknown, ready to face what awaits you- or you will cower behind your door for fear of what you will see when you walk out of it. That fortitude is the essence of what is needed to be a chuunin."

"As to the other nine questions, as most of you have guessed by now, the purpose was to test your skills at gathering information. To aid you in this purpose, we deliberately created a test too hard for a genin to be expected to know- many of those questions are jonin or ANBU level, and are standard on written exams for these respective promotions. Thus, we planted a team of chuunin posing as genin with the answers, who have already left the room, a 'failed' team, so to speak."

"Ya, it took me forever to figure out who had the answers." Commented one suna nin.

"Hmph. It was pretty simple for me- I just copied that guy." One of the Taki nin responded, pointing at Naruto. "I wasn't sure at first, he seemed kinda lost in the beginning, but by the end I was glad I did."

Nearly all the rookies were stunned by this, Naruto most especially. "Him?!" Shouted Kiba. "He's the dumbest one in the graduating class! the dead last!"

Sakura shook her head. "I would have left my page blank first." She added in agreement.

Ino frowned. "Well, he was always a fighter, not a thinker..."

Naruto shook a moment. _A shinobi from another village was willing to recognize me for who I am now before people who knew me. I really must be... _

"Nobody remains the same... people can change!" Hinata said, chastising them.

"Nobody can change their destiny." Neji said, fixing Hinata with a cold, satisfying stare. "There are only the winners... and the losers."

Naruto hung his head. _Is... is it even worth it any more?_

A figure suddenly began extruding itself from the wooden floor; within a second, it had grown arms, legs, and facial features- a ninja with completely expressionless features. In a straight faced, completely uninterested monotone, he said,"Hello. My name is Yamato, and I am the proctor for the second exam."

End Chapter Twelve

AN: That's that.

I do admit that I am not very good at keeping character reactions consistent all the time. I have difficulty keeping in character and situation simultaneously. If you spot one, email me the section and I'll look it over and try to see if I can't fix it. And make a suggestion for a fix as well, so I can get your take on how to maintain their character properly. I'm no professional writer, I'll be the first to admit. On the other hand, I don't guarantee I'll make the change you suggest- sometimes I have a good reason for what I'm writing. Odd, true, but it COULD happen. If I don't, I'll try to email you a clarification of what's going on so that you understand better where the decision came from.

So, for those of you who freshly remember the second portion of the chuunin exams from canon, be prepared: there's going to be some really ugly things happening. And expect a main character death.

My prereader got back in contact with me! And if I'd thought to wait one more hour, I could have presented my chapter in a more refined fashion, rather than the rough copy you guys were subjected to for about 50 minutes. So here it is. Thanks again Mrs W.C.!

Read and Review if u pls; I feed off of it and it helps me to write. Thanks again- I've hit just under 19k hits, and that's more readership than I ever expected to get.

Ja mata.

-AXENOME


	15. Chapter Thirteen: White Rabbit

Foreword: Okie dokie- the properly beta'd version of Chapter thirteen. TY again, G!

Previously: After an encounter with sound nin that turns incredibly violent, team akachi takes the first portion of the chuunin exam. Naruto's Kamigan gains a new strength, and during a moment of desperation Naruto develops an ability unique to the Mangekyou Kamigan to accelerate his experience of time so greatly as to seem to make time stand still. At the end, only fifty eight genin remain, when the second exam proctor arrives: A wood jutsu user by the name of Yamato...

****

Chapter Thirteen: White Rabbit

Yamato surveyed the room. "Ibiki, I feel compelled to ask. Are you feeling unwell today?"

Ibiki snickered. "Why do you ask?"

"Because there are far too many teams here," replied Yamato in a sort of grey monotone. "There is no logical reason to believe a full thirty-eight percent of the applicants should make it to the second exam, unless you are somehow being handicapped. I should only have to deal with perhaps twenty percent of the original entrants."

Ibiki laughed. "Careful, Yamato. I'm tempted to believe you showed an emotion there. As to the teams, we have applicants of exceptional caliber this year."

Yamato nodded, then turned his unblinking, expressionless eyes on the genin. "For the next portion of the exam, report immediately to training ground forty-four within the next half hour. If you are unfamiliar with the area or the route to it you may follow me. Should all members of your team not report in by the end of the thirty-minute deadline, your team will be disqualified. That is all."

The genin stared after him as he walked for the room, then belatedly realized the creepy unblinking guy was probably their only way to the training ground. The rush to follow was quite comical in Ibiki's eyes.

After the last of them had left, Ibiki began collecting up the test sheets. He paused, looking at the test sheet filled in by — he double-checked the name at the top of the page — Uzumaki. His eyes casually lit on his answer to question Six.

"Henge no Jutsu is the finest of the shinobi arts," Ibiki read out loud to himself. "But its applications are directly limited by the wit and imagination of the user. By careful use and assessment of one's surroundings, Henge may provide a weapon, a diversion, a decoy, or even a means to hide in plain sight. When used in conjunction with more advanced techniques, it can be used to plant misinformation, interfere with enemy intelligence gathering operations, deceive a classroom full of genin into believing they are writing on test sheets, and even... the proctors who are... collecting... them."

All at once the majority of the test sheets changed into Naruto Kage Bunshin, who promptly collapsed in a pile before vanishing in puffs of smoke, save one who remained on the desk. The only test sheets remaining were those of Team Akachi and Team Eight. The bunshin who remained asked thoughtfully, "Say... since we're the only ones who handed in our test sheets, that makes us top scorers, doesn't it?" Then, that bunshin also disappeared, leaving Ibiki to stand alone, staring at the seven remaining test sheets.

After a moment, Ibiki picked up the last of the seven pages, and took them to his desk, where he sealed them in a manila envelope. _The Hokage is just going to LOVE this one,_ he thought to himself.

--

"Whoa."

That word fairly well summed it up. As the genin passed through the force field illusion, what had at first seemed to be a normal, dull section of isolated woods turned out to be a section of old growth forest of daunting proportions. In either direction, encompassing the area, as far as the eye could see, stretched a thirty-five foot high chain-link fence. Beyond it grew trees so massive that to call them trees was somehow demeaning. A mere 'tree' was trite when set behind these towering, twisting behemoths. Moss patches grew on them, looking like meager spots and splotches, even though, in order to be visible from so high on the trunks, each had to weigh a ton or more of pure, mossy plant material. Massive vines strung themselves between trees and across them, their main stems six or more feet across.

This was a place of primeval, terrifying power... Nature at its wildest and most fearsome.

Naruto could feel the natural wood chakra pulsing at him in waves from this place. The power of the plant life was staggering. There were trees here that could be thousands of years old. _How is this possible?_ wondered Naruto. _These trees... this place, what is it? Trees this size are... impossible! They should collapse under their own weight!_

**THESE CREATURES ARE OLDER THAN YOU CAN COMPREHEND, **Kyuubi replied with a hushed respect and... fear? **TREES AS YOU KNOW THEM ARE BUT LARVA WHEN SET BESIDE THESE ANCIENTS. THESE ARE NO LONGER TREES.**

_What? What are they, then?_

**THERE IS NO NAME FOR WHAT THEY ARE. THEY ARE THE OLDEST AND MOST POWERFUL BEINGS THAT MAY STILL BE CALLED MORTAL, AND THEIR MINDS BEYOND THE COMPREHENSION OF SUCH AS YOU. ONLY A SINGLE TREE IN A THOUSAND THAT LIVES SO LONG AS THESE EVER AWAKENS. THERE ARE SEVERAL DOZEN BEHIND THE CONFINES OF THAT FENCE. THIS IS A GROVE OF THEM, TO REBUILD THEIR NUMBERS.**

_Rebuild? What do you—_

Yamato had stopped in front of one of the gates. "We will begin the next phase of the exam in ten minutes. Relax yourselves while we wait for stragglers."

Naruto sat down on the grass and renewed his conversation with the Kyuubi. _You said rebuild. Rebuild from what?_

**THEIR WAR.**

"War?!" Naruto was so startled he spoke out loud. The other genin nearby him shot him strange looks, but he ignored them. Silently he asked, _How can trees have a war?_

**I TOLD YOU. CREATURES SUCH AS THESE MAY NO LONGER BE CALLED TREES. THESE BEINGS HAD — AND LIKELY, STILL HAVE — POWERS AND KNOWLEDGE BEYOND YOUR CONCEPTION, LET ALONE COMPREHENSION OR GRASP. IT IS THIS VERY KNOWLEDGE AND POWER THAT PERMITS THEM TO SURVIVE THE SIZE TO WHICH THEY HAVE GROWN.**

_Wait… You said there were several dozen of them. What about the rest of the trees?_

**THE AWAKENED ONES HAVE KEPT ALIVE THOSE TREES NEAR THEM, IN HOPES THAT SOME OF THEM, LEFT ALONE LONG ENOUGH, MIGHT AWAKEN ON THEIR OWN. THIS, I IMAGINE, IS ONE OF THE FEW SUCH GROVES REMAINING IN THE WORLD. THEY HAVE TRADED THE LAND SURROUNDING THEM FOR PEACE WITH THE HUMANS HERE. LIKEWISE, THEY TRADED THE MEREST SLIVERS OF THEIR KNOWLEDGE TO YOUR VILLAGE AT ITS FOUNDING, MAKING KONOHA THE MOST POWERFUL OF THE HIDDEN VILLAGES.**

_Say what?!_

The Kyuubi's mental tone held a trace of amusement. **WHY ELSE WOULD YOUR VILLAGE BE HIDDEN IN LEAVES, FOOLISH BOY? ALTHOUGH,** it added with a thoughtful tone, **YOU, WITH YOUR ACQUIRED ABILITY TO USE WOOD JUTSU, MAY ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THEM... AFTER A FASHION.**

_Speak with them... 'after a fashion'? _Naruto asked. _What's that supposed to mean?_

**IMAGINE AN INSECT. ONE THAT, THROUGH SOME MIRACULOUS GIFT, WAS GRANTED THE POWER OF SPEECH,** Kyuubi suggested.

_You mean, like Shino's bugs? _Naruto asked with a mental nod.

**NO. NOT LIKE THEM. THE KIKAICHU BEETLES HE USES ARE A TRULY GIFTED SPECIES, ALMOST AS INTELLIGENT AS HUMANS. AND THESE ANCIENTS ARE THE REASON THAT THE BREED EXISTS. NO, I MEANT A CREATURE LIKE AN ORDINARY FLY. LET US SAY THAT FOR A FLY, THIS INSECT IS INCREDIBLY GIFTED, ABLE TO TRULY UNDERSTAND MAYBE TWENTY WORDS AS ABSTRACT CONCEPTS OR PERHAPS — IF IT WAS TRULY TALENTED — THIRTY. HOW WOULD YOU COMMUNICATE WITH SUCH A CREATURE, SPEAKING TO IT IN YOUR LANGUAGE? HOW MUCH YOU KNOW, COMPARED TO THIS FLY? NEVER MIND GETTING IT TO UNDERSTAND YOU, HOW MUCH CAN YOU RELATE TO SOMETHING SO LIMITED? NOW, NEXT TO THE ANCIENTS, YOU ARE THE FLY. THAT IS WHAT I MEAN BY COMMUNICATION OF A SORT.**

_Wait, wait, wait. Back up. What do you mean the ancients are the reason the Kikaichu exist?_

**THE ANCIENTS HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE TO CREATE AND ALTER LIFE. THEY ARE THE ONES WHO IMPARTED THE VERY BASIC KNOWLEDGE TO CREATE BLOODLINES SUCH AS THE SHARINGAN.**

Naruto's head was spinning. Glancing around, trying to find a small distraction, he noticed that most of the genin were there already. Apparently one team was still lagging behind. Finally, Naruto said, _You know, it's true I may not be able to understand, at first, what they're talking about. But... You could understand them, right?_

**. . . **The Kyuubi let this hang for several seconds, before asking, **WHAT ARE YOU DRIVING AT, KID?**

_You can explain stuff to me better than they can because you've known me my whole life. And since you can understand them better than I can..._

**INTERESTING... YOU TRANSLATE THEIR WORDS TO ME, THEN I TRANSLATE THEIR MEANING TO YOU. IS THIS WHAT YOU MEAN?**

_Yeah!_ Naruto said. _You always put things better than I do._

**KID, THOSE EYES OF YOURS ARE MESSING WITH YOUR BRAIN. AND I SHOULD KNOW, BECAUSE I AM THE ONE ALWAYS REPAIRING THE DAMAGE.**

_Damage? What damage?_

**THE DAMAGE YOUR KAMIGAN IS DOING TO YOUR BRAIN, AND THE DAMAGE YOUR MANGEKYOU SHARINGAN IS DOING TO YOUR EYES. WITHOUT ME, YOU'D HAVE GONE BLIND FROM THE MANGEKYOU BY NOW. AND DISREGARDING THAT YOU SOULD ALREADY BE DEAD BECAUSE THE COMBINATION OF SHARINGAN AND BYAKUGAN SLOWLY BURNING OUT THE NERVE CELLS IN YOUR BRAIN OVER THE COURSE OF ABOUT TWELVE HOURS, IF LEFT UNCHECKED. TOO MANY CHAKRA CONNECTIONS. **The Kyuubi gave a mental chuckle. **SO… WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME?**

_Knowledge, duh! _Naruto replied. _Not only do you learn everything I do from all this, but you're smarter than I am, right? So when you finally go free, you'll gain more benefit out of it than I ever did. Besides, how often is a fire spirit gonna get to talk to an all-knowing tree being? I mean, it's not like you can just walk up and say hello to them, after all. Fire and wood don't exactly mix in their favor, you know?_

**. . . **The kyuubi seemed to mull this over.

_Hey, Bii-san... _Naruto asked. _How is it that you know all this stuff, anyhow?_

The Kyuubi's mental tone shifted immediately dangerous. **I DO NOT WISH TO TALK ABOUT IT.**

_Huh? _Naruto asked. _Why not?_

Naruto never got his answer; Yamato's voice interrupted his mental conversation. "Nineteen teams. You three came close to disqualification."

"Our apologies," replied the long-haired nin of the approaching team from Kusagakure. "We ran across... a light snack."

The huskiest of the three, dressed in heavy robes, was eating a rabbit, the blood running down his chin. The rabbit's white fur was stained with its own blood; a hind leg still jerked spasmodically but its complete lack of any other motion indicated the creature was quite dead.

Naruto's mind froze like a crystal lake. His mind's eye flashed to another white rabbit, so long ago… was it really only six weeks? Shikamaru had called it a decoy rabbit. Something welled up in his mind, drowning out all other thought.

_I saved that rabbit... these guys killed it! I comforted it but they're eating it, I saved it, they killed it, I loved it but they killed it they're-_

**KID?**

_-they'reeatingitthey'reeatingitEATINGITEATINGIT-_

**OH, SHIT.**

--

Sasuke and Shikamaru knew the signs as Naruto slipped into his killer mode, although they'd never quite seen it this bad. Naruto's eyes focused on one of the late arriving Kusa nin. His chakra spiked, but almost immediately a second chakra welled up... in opposition? Neither of them questioned their good fortune; they were just thankful the second chakra had bought them enough time to subdue Naruto. Shikamaru's shadow held Naruto pinned in place, while Sasuke blocked Naruto's line of sight with his hands and began speaking in soothing tones, not relaxing until Naruto's trembling stopped.

Yamato eyed the group with a detached sort of curiosity, before turning back to face the group as a whole. "Each team will be given one scroll, either an earth scroll, or a heaven scroll. You must reach the tower with one each earth and heaven scrolls. This is a team event so should you not reach the tower with all members of your team alive and in at least fighting shape, you will be disqualified. It has been decided that since there is an extra team, and that team has an extra member, that team will receive one of each scroll. To offset this unfair advantage, that team will not be able to enter the tower until the fifth day. You may now hand in your consent forms to receive your scroll. After you have done so, you may choose a gate. You will be informed when to begin. That is all."

--

"My lord," said Mika, the 'Kusa nin' in the sewn leather face mask. "I urge caution. T'would be best we lure Sasuke, all unwitting, from his comrades, that thou mayest strike at him undisturbed. Shouldst it be thy will, both Ukame and myself wouldst gladly give our lives that they be distracted and thusly grant thee thy chance to take the Uchiha."

"Mika, I'm wounded," said his long-haired companion and master, the Sannin Orochimaru. "You speak as if you believe I should be concerned over a handful of genin. Do you truly believe me so weak?"

A look of panic overcame Mika as he stammered, "N-no, milord, o-of course not! I merely meant that my companion and I couldst save thee the trouble of dealing with the others whilst thou finishest Sasuke."

"Ah, Mika, do you forget? Half the fun in it for me is to play with my food. Perhaps you need a personal reminder of this?"

Mika bowed his head. "Milord. I hath spoken in haste. Shouldst it be thy will, I humbly accept thy disapprobation, and stand ready for thy chastisement, though I dost beseech thee to grant thy forgiveness unto me."

"Always such pretty words leave your mouth," replied Orochimaru. "But I guess this is why I keep you around. That, and your unswerving devotion to anything I say." He smiled, his tongue licking his lips. "I'll take the team myself. You may amuse yourselves by killing any other Konoha teams you like."

Mika felt a sinking sensation as he knew his protestations for caution had fallen on deaf ears. Numbly, he said, "An' it please thee, milord, so shall I be guided by thee in this."

--

"...That is all."

Shikamaru frowned. The real message to Team Akachi was that they were a prime target. Even though nobody knew what scroll any other team had, they knew that this was one team in the exam who could be counted on to have the scroll anyone needed. And if two teams confided in one another having opposite scrolls, all six team members could join forces and take out Team Akachi in one shot, providing both teams passage to the next phase of the exam. And they would be forced to stay out in the forest until at least the beginning of the fifth day of the exam.Unfair advantage, my ass. They deliberately painted a big, fat bulls-eye on our asses and are leaving us to dangle over the piranhas for five days. They WANT us to be targeted by everybody in the exam. But why?

Shikamaru wondered.

Meanwhile, a few yards away, Sasuke was having worries of his own. _This is... this can't be good, he thought, eyeing Naruto warily. He usually comes out of it by now._

Naruto had calmed somewhat, but for some reason, it was as though he hadn't really come back at all from wherever he went when his killing persona took over. Naruto simply stood there, staring off into space in the general direction of the forest.

Shikamaru moved close to Sasuke. "We've got a really bad problem," he said softly. "In case you haven't figured it out, they're giving us a handicap again for this exam. It's like they either want us dead, or for us to slaughter our way through the other examinees. And then, there's Naruto..." he added, trailing off.

"What is it?" asked Sasuke. "What's going on with him?"

Shikamaru grimaced. "Have you ever heard of combat fatigue?"

Haku moved closer as well. "What is that?" he asked.

"It's a group of mental disorders, usually brought about by prolonged exposure to threats, and compounded in intensity by deep, constant feelings of isolation or an inability to find anywhere safe. The symptoms are vary wildly from person to person, usually influenced by the conditions they received it under and the fundamental personality of the person suffering from it. It was a real common injury during the first and second shinobi wars."

"Injury?" Sasuke scoffed. "But he's not hurt… I mean, it's all in his head… right?"

Shikamaru sighed. "I never would have thought I'd be saying this to you of all people, Sasuke, but... You're an idiot." He ignored Sasuke's scowl. "The brain is meant to learn from fear and danger. But the brain is like a muscle in that, if you work it too hard in one fashion, if you strain it and keep working it through the strain, you can tear it completely. But since the brain is so vital, there's really no way to shut off the fear response. The only solution is to remove the person from the situation.

"Adrenaline enhances the fear response; it operates on generally the same sections of the brain. And when it keeps happening, damage starts to occur to the rest of the logical functions the brain has to keep using. Naruto has been taking the forefront of every fight we've had since we started out as Team Seven. I'm pretty sure he's been in a constant state of adrenaline flood. He doesn't relax, have you noticed? Remember when you've tried to wake him — and that's only if you catch him asleep anymore. I haven't in the last two weeks. I haven't seen him more than pick at food in almost ten days, and it's starting to show on his face. Some of the biggest warning signs of combat fatigue are a heightened threat response, erratic behavior, mistrust of others… Any of these sound familiar?" Shikamaru didn't wait for them to respond. "But now he's doing the thousand-yard stare, a sort of state of hyper-vigilance. A state where anything that impinges on his threat meter will attract his attention as thought he'd been directly and imminently threatened, even if it is only vaguely connected to whatever he perceives as a threat and may even have nothing at all to do with him. And as powerful as he is, anything that crosses his path like that is likely gonna die. And that could just as easily be one of us."

"What could have done this to him?" asked Haku, tears streaming down his face, which wore an expression of horrified disbelief.

Naruto was still standing, staring off with that same empty look in his eyes. Shikamaru shook his head. "No man is an island," he said. "But Naruto has been alone in all the ways that matter for his entire life; alsone for so long, he doesn't believe he'll ever have or even deserves anything else. That's bad enough, but then when you factor in the combat stress, and what he does between the missions assigned to Team Akachi..."

Sasuke looked puzzled. "What does he do?"

"D-ranked missions. Until he heads home for the night, and hides under his bed," Shikamaru summarized succinctly. "He's done seven of them just since we got back the day before yesterday. And he does them alone, or with Anko-sensei supervising. Endless, tedious work interspersed with life-threatening, kill-or-be-killed situations. And it's constant. He hasn't taken longer than a half-hour break since we formed the team, and that was when we ran into the Sunagakure ninja."

"Hey, it's not like he's the only one working!" Sasuke retorted angrily. "We've killed. We were right there with him! It's not like he did all the fighting."

"Naruto's not like you, Sasuke," Shikamaru replied quietly. "The Uzumaki weren't a ninja clan… and they're not a clan at all anymore. They were medics and doctors. The Uzumaki clan was all but eradicated near the end of the second shinobi war in a mass assassination, similar to what your brother enacted on your clan. When Naruto was born, it made him only the third Uzumaki alive — and the other two are now dead. He used always to try to cheer people up, make them feel better, because that's what's in his blood. No Kekkei Genkai, just an inborn instinct to heal and comfort. His family lived to ease pain and heal hurts, and what he's been forced to become as a ninja is abhorrent to everything his healer's blood cries out for. It wouldn't be so bad if we were a normal team, but we're an assassination team. Killing is what we do. It's tearing Naruto apart, together with everything else, worst of all the fact that he's alone. If it were only one or two things — hell, if he even had somebody he could trust and confide in — maybe he'd be okay. But as things stand now..."

"How can we help him?" pleaded Haku. "How do we heal him?"

"He needs rest; real rest. And he needs to feel safe; needs someone he can trust," Shikamaru sighed. "Which means, none of us."

"Hinata," said Sasuke, nodding. "It has to be her. She's the only one."

Haku felt a white rage at the mention of the pale-eyed Hyuuga heiress. "Why _her_?" he demanded. "_She_ can't possibly care about him the way—" He stopped short, blushing.

Sasuke wore a look of confusion, while Shikamaru looked at the body-suited genin with disbelief. Finally, Shikamaru said, "Are you... _into_ guys?"

"I..." Haku bit his lip, unsure what to say or even what he felt.

"Part two of the Chuunin exams begins... Now," interrupted the nearby proctor. "You'd better get going. Everybody in the exam is likely to be gunning for you guys, and they've got five days to take their shot."

Naruto, for the first time since the appearance of the tardy Kusa-nin, showed signs of self direction, as he activated the Byakugan, alert for anything from any direction. "Let's go," he mumbled.

--

The team which had been stalking them was hoisted into the air by the net, leeches, panic, and all. One of them gave out a terrified scream, before all they were left the strength to do was thrash and moan, fighting to rid themselves of the sanguivorean vermin. "One team down," Kiba said with a smirk. Team Eight waited for the struggles in the net to weaken, before cutting them down and detaching the leeches. They were Konoha nin, after all.

Team Eight helped themselves to the other team's scroll. Luckily for them, it was a heaven scroll. With their own earth scroll, it meant all that Team Eight had to do now was traverse the distance to the tower without any further incident and enter. They'd just put the scroll away when a cultured voice rang out from behind them.

"Young miss Hyuuga, young masters Aburame and Inuzuka... I believe thou hast something which my team needs for success in our endeavors. So shall we be taking your scrolls tonight."

--

Team Akachi had only been in the gate for a couple of minutes when they heard a scream from somewhere not far from them.

"What was that?" asked Shikamaru. At the sarcastic look Sasuke gave him, he snorted. "Okay, then, I know what it was. The question is, who was it?"

"Should we investigate?" asked Haku.

"Could be a trap... On the other hand, we told Kabuto we'd help him. We do kind of owe him for the information earlier, not to mention that he can probably tell us about the skill sets of everybody we're up against," Sasuke commented.

The three of them looked at Naruto nervously, who was saying nothing, instead crouching in the curled root of a tree while scanning the area with the Byakugan.

"We gotta check it out," Sasuke said finally.

--

Kiba grunted at the impact from a slashing claw he'd blocked at the forearm, an attack he'd not had time or space to dodge. He'd learned quickly that the round faced Kusa nin's robes concealed a body pebbled over in scales and thorny spines. Worse, he seemed to have venomous blood. Akamaru was down after having bitten him, and the Kusa nin had attempted to spit some of his blood at the young Inuzuka. Everything in Kiba's soul screamed at him to attend to Akamaru, but if he stopped fighting now or let himself get distracted from this opponent, they were all dead.

Kiba had eaten a hyorogan already. The soldier pill helped him to recharge his flagging chakra reserves in the face of the lizard shinobi's assault. Ducking a clawed strike that couldn't have missed by more than a fraction of an inch, Kiba was yanked violently to the left as the swipe snagged and then tore through Kiba's furred hood with a rending sound. The sudden motion gave Kiba an unexpected opening, and he planted a foot quickly, converting his sideways motion into extra power for a gatsuuga into the Kusa nin's fractionally exposed ribs.

The Kusa nin flew backwards, spattering Kiba and the ground alike with mauve blood. The heavy shinobi caromed wildly off a nearby tree root, sending splinters, bark, fabric and dirt flying away as the Kusa shinobi's scaled and spiney skin scoured away plant and robes alike.

Kiba spun to face the gangly nin fighting his teammates; with one of the two temporarily out of the fight, the three members of team eight should be able to take down the remaining nin before his ally could rejoin them. As it was, the gangly Kusagakure ninja was fighting them both effectively, and seemed to be able to avoid Hinata's jyuuken strikes while evading Shino's bugs. Kiba charged into the gangly ninja's blindside…

And fell uncoordinated as his senses were overwhelmed by an odor beyond foul. His poise and balance ruined, Kiba's gatsuuga spun off target, ending with a painful sprawl and an unhealthy crunching noise from his left shoulder.

"Wh-what the..." he managed to say woozily as he gagged and reeled from the pain and smell.

"I'm an infiltrator," the kusagakure nin boasted smugly. "My sweat glands hath been altered to permit me to produce any scent. It permitest me to deceiveth the noses of guard dogs, evadeth scent-based trackers, and to sicken and disorient mine foes. And thusly, to members of thy clan, the Inuzuka, dost I be a fell foe indeed, by virtue of thine most excellent noses turned against thee."

Kiba retched again, and the Kusa nin faced off against his teammates, as the lizard ninja recovered from Kiba's solid hit and approached, picking out splinters and bark from the shredded remains of his robe. Kiba struggled to his feet one-handed and took up a fighting stance, his left arm hanging uselessly. Beside him, Hinata and Shino prepared to fight for their lives once more.

--

Naruto suddenly halted. "Team Eight is up ahead with two Kusagakure shinobi," he reported tersely. "Kiba's hurt, and his dog is down."

Shikamaru nodded and began speaking. "Haku, you stay back here with me. Naruto, support Team Eight in close; Sasuke, cover Naruto with long range jutsu."

"Shikamaru-san... why are we hanging back?" inquired Haku.

"Because you and I are best for disabling opponents; and there's only two of them out there right now," he explained. "If the third one shows up in the middle of the fight he can potentially disable us all with one wide ranged attack… unless we're here watching to ambush him when he shows up. With your speed and my tactical ability, I want us where we can respond from hiding. We stay hidden."

Sasuke nodded to Naruto who still had a distant look in his eyes. "Let's go."

--

Team Eight and the Kusagakure ninja both stepped back from the fighting, each side taking a small breather. The gangly nin with the spindly arms had lost his mask, and his companion was coughing up blood, as a lucky shot from Hinata's jyuuken had found its mark. Hinata herself, however, was limping, as one of the spiny growths on the lizard nin had caught the side of her right knee. Shino's insects had taken some casualties, as well, from a sudden fire jutsu performed by the spindly one. The heavy one now fitted some sort of plastic bag over his tongue.

"Hast thou prepared thyself for our assault, Ukame?" asked the spindly one.

His companion said, "You may proceed when ready, Mika."

Chakra flared, and the unpleasant smell swelled to all but unbearable levels. The odor hit them like a physical thing, driving back Shino's kikaichu, and throwing Kiba into convulsions.

Shino experienced a first in his life; his Kikaichu would not obey him. None of the tiny creatures would come within six feet of the gangly Mika. "Hinata... Give it to them," Shino said emotionlessly, stepping back defensively, "or they'll kill us all."

Hinata froze, and the one called Ukame smirked. "Oh, but you're mistaken. Tonight, it's not your scroll or your life. No, I'm afraid the conjunction of the day is, quite assuredly, 'and'."

Hinata's eyes widened, and she shoved Shino back, tripping Kiba at the same time, as Naruto came flying in from the tree-line, with Kubikiri Houcho poised for an overhand stroke that promised to split a boulder. For a second it looked as though the Kusa nin were unaware, then Mika took two steps backwards and spun, driving a clawed hand to punch through Naruto's abdomen in an upward thrust, spearing the blond genin and impaling him on the gangly shinobi's forearm. Kubikiri Houcho spun through the air, embedding itself in the ground as the clawed hand emerged from just under his right shoulder blade, blood and torn flesh flying backwards. Naruto vomited blood, and hung, clutching weakly at the shoulder of the gangly, long armed ninja.

"Hast thou any last words, feckless bungler?" asked Mika.

The boy spit blood and nodded. "Katsu."

The explosion was brutal. The force of it drove Mika into the ground hard. Blood and bone rained, and Mika's forearm tumbled, limply bouncing off the handle of Kubikiri Houcho.

Ukame roared in disbelief, as his comrade thrashed for a second, before his face went gray and he passed out. Ukame glanced around in desperation and fury, and screamed, "SHOW YOURSELF, COWARD!"

Naruto's blade vanished in a puff of smoke, and in his place Naruto stood. He pulled a scroll out and unrolled it in midair, before summoning from it Kubikiri Houcho, the real one. His eyes stared through the reptilian Ukame, not at him, as though not even seeing him. After a second, Naruto's eyes focused on the reptilian ninja, and he smiled a smile devoid of any semblance of mercy or humanity. "Rabbit," he whispered.

Ukame was speechless for a second, before he finally managed a, "W-what?"

"You _ate_ him. You ATE HIM! YOU _ATE HIM_!" Naruto screamed, before charging forward. Ukame raised his arms and slashed at Naruto with one hand as Naruto charged by while trying to deflect the blade with the other. Then a trio of long slashes appeared in Naruto's side, spraying blood, but Ukame fell to the ground in two bloody halves and a welter of blood. The claws were strong and would have blocked most blades. But Kubikiri Houcho was not 'most' blades. In fact, reinforced with Naruto's chakra as it had been during the strike, Ukame may as well have not bothered to block at all.

Team Eight had never seen Naruto wounded before, and watched in amazement as his rent flesh closed back together, sealed up, and left no trace of the wounds but the bloody tears in his shirt.

"So. It would appear that Konoha's dirty little secret is a ninja, after all. At least, after a fashion."

On the edge of the clearing, a third Kusa-nin stood, with long, silky black hair. Hanging limply from his freakishly long tongue were Haku and Shikamaru. Of Sasuke there was no trace.

"Brat, drop the sword."

Naruto's eyes narrowed; his legs tensed.

And then he was engulfed in pain. Shuriken dotted his arms and legs. His hands were slashed from his arms; a red line from his throat began gushing blood. A dozen swords penetrated his body... And then, of its own, the Sharingan activated.

The phantom pain vanished; the images dissolved. Behind it all stood his opponent. The two incapacitated members of Team Akachi dropped to the ground, as the Kusanin drew kunai.

Naruto gave no warning and spared no time for response. Not to Team Eight, still paralyzed behind him. Not to his opponent's shock at his genjutsu being thrown off so easily. And certainly not to the demonic voice in the back of his mind that kept screaming his name.

**End Chapter Thirteen**

-AN: That is that.

As to why Naruto swapped out all the test sheets- not to mention, when, it was after the Suna nin asked how many of the top ranking teams they intended to pass. With that particular thought in mind, Naruto wished to be certain that Team Akachi and Team eight passed the first exam- by ensuring that they had the top scores. Of course, it was made academic thereafter by the fact that the tests were never actually graded, but it was still a rather dirty trick and a funny mental image, so I included it in the beginning of this chapter.

Had another request for lemon scented stuff- sorry, but I won't even have a decent OPPORTUNITY to take a break in the story for anything of the sort, and my earlier statement stands: I am NOT writing lemon for kiddies. If anything happens, it'll be offscreen, and probably alluded to, in the case of the genin, and if something arises between jonin instructors etc it'll MAYBE happen but I've never been an especially effective lemon writer. I hate to burst bubbles, but at the pace it's running right now, not much is likely to happen that I'll explicitly detail before the end of the Chuunin exams.

On the topic of Anko encouraging Naruto to drink. Well, I have a couple reasons for that inclusion in this story- Most notably, Anko isn't exactly a towering example of adult responsibility in canon. Not to mention, having only accompanied team akachi (As team seven, back then) once, she isn't fully aware of the depth of Naruto's issues. Plus, back then, Naruto wasn't nearly so bad is he's gotten to be recently, being that he was able to function more or less normally, outside of combat. Anko also has a bad tendency not to think far enough ahead- case in point, she tries to kill herself and Orochimaru at the same time, not really considering her own safety or even the possibility that Orochimaru wasn't just a clone. Between these factors, it seemed to me she would go for the quick fix herself- and likely, advise Naruto to do the same.

That's about it, I guess, except for the following preview and Omake.

Preview of Chapter Fourteen: The Snake and the Fox

_Orochimaru found himself immediately on the defensive as the enormous sword in the blond's hands sheared through the kunai he'd tried to deflect it with. The last two fingers on his hand flopped uselessly; the same stroke had severed the Radius of him left arm and the tendons attached to them- until he could repair the damage he'd be down to forming seals one handed. But Naruto's rapid, relentless assault hadn't left him enough time to do so- or even withdraw enough to catch his breath. _

_DAMN the Sharingan eye! Orochimaru learned quickly that Naruto had somehow gained a mastery over it much akin to Kakashi the Copycat Ninja. He'd unintentionally taught Naruto the Shunshin jutsu and since that moment, Naruto had been pursuing him relentlessly. _

_This was not the first time Orochimaru had encountered a berserker. Berserkers were dreadful opponents to the unwary and unprepared; many a good warrior had fallen to berserkers of lesser skill. But to fight berserk was to go all out, leaving nothing in reserve- fighting berserk was an all or nothing affair. Should you survive the first few seconds of combat, chances were good you'd live, and your chances of victory went up with each second that passed thereafter. _

_Nor was it his first time facing a Jinchuuriki. Jinchuuriki were often a hurricane of destruction but very little finesse; given to overwhelming force to win a fight- after all, they had plenty of it to spare. To defeat a Jinchuuriki was to evade their massive attacks with precision, place yourself in position, and strike out at their weak spot. _

_It certainly wasn't his first time fighting a skilled shinobi. He'd met many; a large number of them were more skilled than this boy, although his skills were certainly better than those of a genin needed to be to advance to chuunin. _

_No, the trouble of this fight, was that in this opponent, Orochimaru was facing all three rolled up into one, and wielding a blade of the Seven Swordsmen of Mizugakure. Had he but the split second of space to retrieve Kusanagi, this fight might even out. Unfortunately, he couldn't for the life of him get that split second. Unlike most berserkers, his stamina wasn't falling off. Unlike most Jinchuuriki, his attacks were skilled and aimed. Unlike most shinobi, even a glancing hit from this kid could kill him deader than the Shodaime Hokage. _

_To his vast surprise (And, deep down, his growing excitement) he was actually going to have to take this fight a little seriously._

Omake:

Kiba spun to face the gangly nin fighting his team mates- with one of the two temporarily out of the fight, the three members of team eight should be able to take down the remaining nin before his ally could rejoin them. As it was, the gangly kusagakure ninja was fighting them both effectively, and seemed to be able to avoid Hinata's jyuuken strikes while evading Shino's bugs. Kiba charged into the gangly ninja's blindside-

-And fell uncoordinated as his senses were overwhelmed by an odor beyond foul. His poise and balance ruined, Kiba's gatsuuga spun off target, ending with a painful sprawl and an unhealthy crunching noise from his left shoulder.

"Wh-what the..." He managed to say woozily as he gagged and reeled from the pain and smell.

The skinny Kusa nin peeled aside his leather face mask to reveal... the face of a chihuahua?! "Behold, the most sacred and deadly of Kusagakure arts! Taco Bell no Jutsu!"

And he farted again.

End Omake

-AXENOME


	16. Chapter Fourteen: The Fox and the Snake

Previously: The Second portion of the Chuunin exam has begun... but Naruto has snapped. Stuck in a constant state of violent, hyper-awareness, Team Akachi must survive five days before they can reach the tower, with possibly every other team in the exam gunning specifically for them. But the real toss up is who is more dangerous to Team Akachi — the other teams, or Naruto himself? Of course, that's all academic if Naruto doesn't survive his fight with the third, and most deadly, of the Kusagakure nin, because if he falls... They _all_ die.

**Chapter Fourteen: The Fox and the Snake**

Orochimaru's genjutsu held them all paralyzed. Team Eight stood shaking and staring. _This is the best that Konoha has to offer?_ Orochimaru wondered. _Best that I left when I did. I might have been tainted by association._

The Uchiha boy was lost off in another direction. It had been easy, as the first two dropped like bags of rocks when Orochimaru ambushed them. At first the Uchiha had seemed as if he might not be so easy, but Orochimaru engulfed him in a genjutsu that showed him exactly what he was expecting to see — a fight. That left Naruto charging ahead. Orochimaru had fully expected his two comrades to easily defeat the blond kid without his team to support him. Instead, the jinchuuriki had shown a remarkable display of subtlety in his almost berserk state, taking down his opposition with almost absurd ease.

For a moment, Orochimaru had hoped the boy might actually be a challenge. But now, he was ensnared like the rest of them. Pathetic… but not entirely unexpected.

Orochimaru drew a cluster of kunai, targeting each genin's throat, when suddenly everything went to hell.

One moment, the skinny blond kid was staring straight ahead into the distance, and the next, the thrown kunai were deflected, Naruto charging forward. And the blond kid had Sharingan eyes. _Mangekyou_ Sharingan. There was little finesse in the kid's attacks, sword strokes and kicks interchangeably thrown, with force behind each to tear through anything in his path; as demonstrated by a massive vine he chopped through on his backswing while preparing another attempt at taking Orochimaru's head. Naruto was all blinding speed and terrifying strength and relentless savagery.

Orochimaru found himself immediately on the defensive as the enormous sword in the blond's hands sheared through the kunai he'd tried to deflect it with. The last two fingers on his hand flopped uselessly; the same stroke had severed the radius in his left arm and the tendons attached to it. Until he could repair the damage, he'd be down to forming seals one-handed. But Naruto's rapid, relentless assault hadn't left him enough time to do so, or even the ability to withdraw enough to catch his breath.

Damn the Sharingan eye! Orochimaru learned quickly that Naruto had somehow gained a mastery over it much alike to Kakashi the Copycat Ninja. He'd unintentionally taught Naruto the Shunshin jutsu, and since that moment, Naruto had been pursuing him relentlessly.

This was not the first time Orochimaru had encountered a berserker. Berserkers were dreadful opponents to the unwary and unprepared. Many a good warrior had fallen to a berserker of far less skill. But to fight berserk was to go all out, leaving nothing in reserve; fighting berserk was an all or nothing affair. Should you survive the first few seconds of combat, chances were good you'd live, and your chances of victory went up with each second that passed thereafter.

Nor was it his first time facing a jinchuuriki. Jinchuuriki were often a hurricane of destruction but very little finesse; given to overwhelming force to win a fight. After all, they had plenty of it to spare. To defeat a jinchuuriki was to evade their massive attacks with precision, place yourself in position, and strike out at their weak spot.

It certainly wasn't his first time fighting a skilled shinobi. He'd met many; a large number of them were more skilled than this boy, although his skills were certainly better than those a genin needed to be to advance to chuunin.

No, the trouble with this fight was that, in this opponent, Orochimaru was facing all three rolled up into one, and wielding a blade of the Seven Swordsmen of Mizugakure. Had he but the split second of space to retrieve Kusanagi, this fight might even out. Unfortunately, he couldn't for the life of him get that split second. Unlike most berserkers, Naruto's stamina wasn't falling off. Unlike most jinchuuriki, his attacks were skilled and aimed. Unlike most shinobi, even a glancing hit from this kid could kill him deader than the Shodaime Hokage.

To his vast surprise — and, deep down, his growing excitement — he was actually going to have to take this fight a little seriously.

--

The chakra pulse seemed to have caught Naruto off guard. In the start of the fight, he'd pushed his opponent onto the defensive, and Team Eight watched in a fearful hush as the genjutsu faded, revealing the two ninja fighting. The serpentine Kusa-nin slithered, darted, lashed out with kunai and shuriken, and attempted to shunshin and kawarimi; but at every turn, Naruto was there.

Suddenly, things reversed; and the turnaround was almost instantaneous. With a rapid swipe at the blood on his arm and a one handed seal later, there was an explosion of earth and smoke, knocking Naruto backwards. Naruto charged from the ground; a massive tail, easily seven feet across, whipped up and around, a tail attached to a monstrous snake, with the Kusa-nin perched atop its head. Naruto flew backwards again, but the snake had its own injuries, Kubikiri Houcho buried to the hilt, serpentine blood flying everywhere. The force of the blow smashed Naruto's body through a branch thicker than he was tall, which first groaned then, with cracking noises like thunder, the whole branch gave way.

A rush of wind and roar of leaves preceded its multi-ton impact with the forest floor, causing the ground to shake hard enough to knock everyone within a quarter of a mile off their feet.

Team Eight did the only thing they could do in a battle like this. They got to their feet and hid.

--

Only two hundred yards away, Sasuke slammed into the suddenly shuddering ground. The jarring blow broke the genjutsu's hold on him, and he realized the entire fight he'd been engaged in was all in his mind. More crashing and popping sounds came from the east, not far off. He turned in the direction of the clamor and took off at top speed.

--

Naruto blinked slowly as he came to awareness of his surroundings and... pain, specifically pain in the left side of his face. Everything was dark on the left side, as well. Reaching up, he felt something embedded in his face just above the cheek bone. It felt like wood. Trying to move it produced no results other than more pain. Leaving it alone let the pain subside to a dull throbbing. For better or worse, whatever-it-was was stuck there.KID... CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?

Naruto cast about, trying to understand why the mental voice was so familiar. He felt a strange sense of... emptiness, as though there was something missing, but wasn't certain of what it could be. Somehow, everything was the same, flavorless grey. He felt... nothing. No fear, no pain, no insecurity; it was kind of... relaxing. But there was a distant sense of urgency, something that needed doing.

With a jolt, Naruto remembered the name of that 'that'. _Bii-san. What- what's happened?_

**SHUT UP, GAKI. I'M BUSY. THIS IS TRICKY WORK.**

Even as Kyuubi spoke, Naruto felt a burning sensation in the left side of his face, and smelled wood smoke. He felt something hot land on his arm. Looking over, he saw hot ash and embers falling onto him from... His face? Chakra welled up around the side of his face, and splinters of wood and more charred ash flew out, accompanied by a stinging sensation. The ache stopped, followed by a tingling sensation.

**YOU HAD PIECES OF WOOD LODGED IN YOUR BRAIN. I'M TRYING TO RESTORE YOUR RIGHT HAND MOTOR FUNCTION RIGHT NOW. YOU ALSO HAD SEVERE DAMAGE TO YOUR AMYGDALA, BUT AS LONG AS YOUR SUPPRESSED EMOTIVE RESPONSE IS KEEPING YOU COHERENT, I'M AFRAID IT'S GOING TO WAIT UNTIL THIS FIGHT IS OVER.**

_My amo- what? Emoting response, what the hell is that? _

**NEVER MIND THAT, KID. YOUR HAND SHOULD BE WORKING NOW.**

Naruto looked around desperately. _THE SNAKE! Where is it!? _

**HOLD ON, KID, I'M NOT DONE YET.**

But Naruto was already running, heedless of the splinters of wood sticking out of him in various portions of his back and side.

Naruto followed back the trail of devastation, to see the snake rearing up over a group of bushes, while Shino and Hinata cowered behind them. But where was Kiba? _KAMIGAN! _

Naruto found his answer. Near the end of the fallen tree branch, was Kiba. The branch was incredibly heavy; there wasn't much left of him. Naruto's senses roiled at the sight. As his Mangekyou activated, he felt the world slow down again — not nearly as much as before, but he didn't have as much chakra left as before either. He leaped at a nearby tree trunk and SHOVED, imparting as much kinetic force to his leap as he could, flying straight at the giant snake.

--

Hinata froze at the sight of the monstrous serpent towering over her team. Shino directed his swarm at the snake, but it ignored them, its hide too thick for the insects to draw out its chakra. The insects dispersed as they suddenly drove upwards at the Kusa-nin, who exhaled a gout of flame at them, killing many. The snake reared back, lunged downwards…

And the side of its head was struck by a meteor shaped like Naruto's fist. The sound of the blow was like cannon shot. The first half of its body flew sideways and upwards, before crashing to the ground seventy feet away. In a gout of smoke, the snake disappeared.

Naruto hung suspended in mid air, all his forward momentum from before having been transferred to the snake, and the Kusa-nin hung suspended above him. But while Naruto had no leverage, the Kusa-nin needed none to reach his target. His long tongue launched from his mouth, coiling around Naruto and binding the blond's arms behind him as the two dropped towards the ground.

--

Yamato sat at the table near entrance one. He was enjoying a bowl of rice with steamed vegetables, some of which he had grown himself. His meal was interrupted by a pair of proctors, whose shunshin placed them almost directly in front of Yamato's table. "Sir! Terrible news!" said one of them.

Yamato blinked in confusion. "Already? What's hap—"

Before he could say any more, a shockwave shook the ground, followed closely by an enormous crash from within the forest, as though untold tons of solid object had struck the ground. "What the—" said the other proctor.

Yamato felt a trilling of dread. _Has something happened to one of the Ancients?_ he wondered. Out loud, he said, "Call all of the jounin representatives for the participating teams. We may have to cancel the second exam."

"S-sir? But why-?"

"We do not have time to discuss this," Yamato said tersely. "If one of the Ancients has been wounded or killed, we may have reason to fear not just for the teams, but for Konohagakure itself." The first proctor nodded and shunshin-ed away.

"Sir, the bodies..." the remaining proctor said. "We left them with Akamichi Katsuo, our medic, but... There's something strange about them..."

"Strange?" Yamato asked. "Strange as in... How?"

Within the space of a minute, Yamato was examining the bodies where they lay, mere dozens of yards within the boundaries of the fence surrounding the Forest. _I recognize these three..._ Yamato thought to himself. _But their faces are gone._ "How long have these bodies been here?" he asked.

"By my guess," said Katsuo, "based on limb stiffness and blood coagulation, I'd say at least an hour and a half."

Yamato stared at the proctor with numb shock on his face. _But that means... they were dead before I..._ "Call ANBU!" he snapped. "Get every available squad here now! We have at least three infiltrators impersonating genin, they may be here to assassinate—"

Sixteen pops and puffs of smoke arrived like a staccato of firecrackers. Kakashi, Kurenai, Anko, and Asuma were in the lead — they were the instructors of the Rookie Ten, after all, and despite their earlier confidence, were terribly worried. "What's up?" asked Kakashi. "What's all the— Ah. Dead people."

Anko had frozen. Kurenai looked over at her in puzzlement. "Anko-chan? What's wrong?"

Anko's eyes were riveted on the three dead bodies. Then she all but yelled, "Get ANBU, fast OROCHIMARU'S here!"!

--

Orochimaru held the struggling kid suspended above himself with his tongue as they began to fall. Look at that! he thought, getting a close look at the blond genin. Burned and bloody flesh adorned the left side of Naruto's face. His right eye remained Sharingan, but the left did not. A hole extending from the boy's left temple all the way into the bridge of his nose clearly demonstrated that the eye was no longer there. Bone was visible, but something — presumably, the boy himself — had found whatever caused the wound stuck there, and burned it away to reduce the inconvenience._He dispelled Vashda with one attack! And he can't even see on his left side! _marveled Orochimaru. _He certainly can struggle, though. He's pretty damned strong for someone his size. Then again, I suppose he'd have to be, to fight the way he does with a sword THAT size. There is more here at work than mere tenacity and strength._

The tip of his tongue lifted the shirt. There, on his belly, the sealing pattern on his flesh. He could sense the chakra flowing from the seal, infusing the boy's chakra pathways. _As I thought. The Kitsune no Kyuubi's chakra is working in harmony with that of the Uzumaki brat's. Symbiotic..._ Orochimaru braced for the landing, letting his legs absorb the impact of their combined landing, as he gathered the five chakra types at the tips of his fingers.

But for the laws of inertia, Orochimaru would have ended the fight right then and there. But Naruto's weight bobbed him downwards, and Orochimaru paused, as Naruto's feet scrabbled at the ground, almost caught purchase, but then was lifted higher by the Snake Sannin's tongue. _He tried to stick himself to the ground to gain leverage,_ Orochimaru thought to himself with a grin. _Even at this disadvantage he still tries to fight me. Quite spirited._ Even now, large clods of dirt stuck to the soles of Naruto's right foot. Orochimaru pulled him closer, preparing to drive the seal into the blond's stomach, when Naruto's right foot suddenly spun around, and organic matter fell away from the sandaled foot, revealing a glossy sheen on the top of his foot.

Orochimaru blocked without thinking, without hesitation, and an explosion of glass shards blasted into his face from less than six inches. Whipping his face to the side, he avoided total blinding. But the left side of his face, including the eye, and the top and left sides of his tongue were blasted with hundreds of tiny, razor sharp shards. His cheek was a shredded, bloody ruin, his eye an oozing, bloody, gelatinous mess. Reflexively, in pain, Orochimaru's tongue withdrew back into him, as he gave a staggering shudder. The blond genin hit the ground running... towards his sword.

_Now we're even, you think? An eye for an eye? _thought Orochimaru with a snicker. _Should have finished me off, instead of going for your sword, brat. _Orochimaru opened his mouth wide, climbing out of his ruined shell of a body. The new form was slightly weaker than he'd been; it would be a day or two before he'd regained his full strength. But the jutsu did its work. Even though he'd taken gruesome damage from the glass attack, so long as his brain, his spine, and his chakra pathways were more or less intact, he could recover from virtually any kind of damage with it, given the time to do it.

_The only real downside is that my disguise is lost._ But that was of minimal importance; Naruto had retrieved his sword. _Time for me to show him the meaning of swordsmanship,_ Orochimaru thought to himself, opening wide his mouth as the Serpent Sheath extended from his mouth and revealed the handle of Kusanagi.

--

Naruto swept in like a hurricane, Kubikiri Houcho whipping overhead in a blinding flash. The Kusa-nin— no, his hitai-ate revealed the symbol of Otogkure now — raised his hands overhead, a long, slender katana in them. There was an enormous clash of grinding metal, accompanied by a loud ringing, as the two blades met. Then, Naruto felt an incredible shock as something completely unexpected happened.

For the first time since he'd acquired it and taught himself how to use it, Naruto encountered a weapon that Kubikiri Houcho could not break.

--

Orochimaru was truly impressed. At first, he'd toyed with the blond genin, his superior swordsmanship an all but insurmountable advantage, inflicting small cuts, humiliating him, demonstrating his inadequacy against a real swordsman. He'd laughed as Kusanagi's lighter construction let him get around the larger, slower blade, delighting in inflicting ever increasingly severe wounds, then backing away enough to watch them heal. But as the fight wore on, Orochimaru found himself working harder and harder to get around the boy's guard. The boy's eye was growing back. Orochimaru wondered vaguely if the eyes could be repeatedly carved out and implanted in multiple people: an entire army of sharingan.

Then something inexplicable happened. He peeled away the boy's defenses, lashing out to meet the flesh between the boy's ribs with Kusanagi's steel, but instead of the expected grunt of pain and splatter of blood, there was instead a flash of sparks and clang.

Orochimaru stepped back, staring into Sharingan eyes, only to be met with a modified version of one of his own combos, suited to the size of the weapon he was using. Orochimaru countered with the most effective defense… and the Uzumaki boy smiled. _The little teme is learning... memorizing... USING me! _he realized. _The little rat is absorbing my skills!_

Orochimaru cursed himself mentally. He'd known of the power of the Sharingan, but had assumed that this blond brat couldn't possibly have understood the power at his command. He'd toyed with the boy, secure in his superiority, but as he now was forced to defend himself against his own skills, he was forced to watch as his hard earned talents were analyzed, assimilated... and used on him in ways harder and harder to defend against.

The only way to gain the Sharingan was to be born with the trait, or else to steal the Sharingan from the body of someone who was. Orochimaru already knew the boy couldn't possibly be an Uchiha. Itachi had quite thoroughly exterminated the clan, save for his younger brother. Had he missed one? The evidence pointed to it, that the eyes had been stolen from one, at the least. Possibly salvaged after the night of blood. But implanted eyes were supposed to be inferior to those inherited by birthright, and still this boy's use of the Sharingan was excellent, bordering on outright genius.

He'd come for the Uchiha... but...

He skipped backwards. The kid was using him, now, to train his swordsmanship... but that gave him the room to do what he did next. He released Kusanagi, formed a seal one-handed, and used his left hand to control the sword now hovering in mid-air.

Naruto found himself defending against arts that no swordsman could hope to enact. To do so with hands would require flexibility — and joints — that a human didn't possess. "You're impressive, gaki," Orochimaru said. Naruto narrowed his eyes at him, but made no further moves as Kusanagi hovered expectantly. Orochimaru continued, "Your mastery of the Sharingan exceeds that of most members of the Uchiha clan." He snickered. "In fact, I had come for Sasuke, but... I think I want you, instead!"

Kusanagi lunged; Naruto almost instinctively parried. Kusanagi twisted, turned Naruto's parry into a downward thrust that embedded the weapon in the ground — and Naruto learned something else about the Sharingan — that if he didn't know what a foe was capable of, he couldn't predict what would happen next. Orochimaru's neck lengthened, his mouth opened, and venomous fangs sank into Naruto's trapesius. Naruto felt a wave of dizziness as... something... coursed through his veins. Then he shook, his hands let go of Kubikiri Houcho, and he collapsed to the ground with a single hoarse scream of pain. He thrashed for a few seconds before lapsing into a shivering mass of silent agony.

Orochimaru laughed delightedly. "I'll see you again, Naruto-kun. Do be a good boy; make it to the next stage of the exam. If you do well enough, I'll take you to a place where you'll never be shunned, never rejected. I'll take you to the Sound, my home. And it'll be your home, too." Orochimaru smiled, as he turned to face Sasuke, who'd just stepped from the tree-line. "Or, maybe I'll just take him with me now. I'd thought to take you, Sasuke-kun, but I can see where the real talent in your team lies."

"You won't see him again," Sasuke replied. "I've seen how you fight... and I know where Naruto was going wrong."

Orochimaru raised an eyebrow. "Aw... Are you feeling rejected? Feeling left out, at the idea that he might leave you here... and come to me?" He put away Kusanagi. "Come then, little boy. We can take our time, and you can show me all your tricks."

--

Sasuke pulled out six kunai, two explosive notes, a windmill shuriken, and some wire. _No time like now, I suppose,_ he thought to himself. _If I can't at least try to face this guy down, I'll never be able to look Naruto in the eye. Ten seconds ought to do it._

"Hey, Snake-face! Catch," he said, throwing two kunai, each of them with an explosive note attached. _Eight seconds..._

--

Orochimaru dodged the two kunai, letting them slip to either side of him, as he darted forward. The windmill shuriken he ducked, noting the coating of glass on it as it passed by._ Hm... good thing I didn't try to catch that. I'm have to learn that jutsu they're using; it strikes me as being almost as useful as explosive notes, and far more convenient._ Another kunai nearly hit him; only a hasty dodge prevented it from hitting his knee. Another rapid dodge of another kunai, and a third he ducked that sent him back on his original course. _He's very controlled and precise. I know he pulled out six kunai, one left to— huh? String?_

Sasuke stood by a tree, one end of the wire clenched in his teeth as the fifth kunai's force created a pulley effect with the tree he was standing by. Orochimaru's eyes followed the string to the windmill shuriken that was coming straight back at him. He bent himself backwards, avoiding getting tangled in the wire to either side as well as the last bit attached to the kunai directly above him. The throw had been carefully calculated to box him in. And bent over backwards, he got to see the sixth kunai heading directly on a collision course with the incoming windmill shuriken, still coated in its deadly sheath of glass… and both just out of reach of his hands.

--

_Three... _Sasuke counted mentally, as the snake nin saw the shuriken flying back at him. He ducked — backwards, interestingly enough. How flexible he was! — to avoid it, as Sasuke threw the last kunai at the shuriken.

_Two... _The enemy saw the incoming kunai; was out of position to do much of anything. The kunai struck as the shinobi latched onto the nearest piece of wood large enough for Kawarimi no Jutsu.

_One... _The glass lashed outwards. The oto-nin threw himself flat as it passed over him, to land on two hard objects. Sasuke grinned as he saw the snake ninja attempt to get back to his feet, but it was too late.

"Katsu." said Sasuke mildly, with a grin.

--

Orochimaru's eyes widened as he'd remembered the first two kunai the Uchiha kid had thrown, with the explosive notes attached to them. _He deliberately steered me so I would use Kawarimi no Jutsu at the exact moment — and with the exact target — that he wanted me to. How elegant his execu—_

Then the notes went off with stunning explosive force.

--

Sasuke looked at the enemy nin with first satisfaction then surprise, as his aged face, scorched and peeling, tore away at a swipe of his hands to reveal... a kid?

"So... I see you managed to perfect your technique... Eh, Orochimaru sensei?"

The snake nin smiled and looked past Sasuke. "Hello, Anko, my dear. Such a pity you all had to crash my little party, but it was getting rather boring anyhow. I was already planning on leaving. But don't stop the exam on my account. Or you'll end up destroying Konoha in the process."

"And what makes you think we intended to let you go?" asked Asuma.

Sasuke spared a look behind him. There, with Asuma and Anko, were the majority of the Konoha jounin instructors, along with one from Amegakure, several from Sunagakure, and even one from Takigakure.

"What, my dear boy," responded Orochimaru lightly, "makes you think you can stop me?"

"Why are you here?" demanded Anko. "Is it assassination? Are you here after the Hokage?"

"Heavens, no!" laughed Orochimaru. "I lack the hubris — and number of expendable subordinates — for something that ambitious. But I am a talent scout, of sorts. And I always like to know who's who among the up and coming, sort of a means by which I can find out who is... dissatisfied with the boring curriculum and strictures you place on them here in stodgy old Konohagakure."

"You won't be recruiting anyone today," Kakashi stated.

"Oh, I beg to differ, my dear Kakashi-kun. You see... I already have..." smirked Orochimaru as he sank into the ground with no warning or hand-seals.

Yamato formed several seals, before slamming his hands on the forest floor and extending vines into the ground. After a moment, he cursed. "DAMMIT! He's GONE!"

"Where's Naruto?" asked Sasuke suddenly. Where Naruto had been, there was now only empty soil.

"N-Naruto-kun?" asked Hinata, as she looked around the clearing. "Naruto-kun?" she said a little louder. As the beginnings of hysteria took her, Kurenai gently walked up to her and struck a nerve cluster at the base of her skull, and caught the girl as she collapsed.

"As Team Eight is now officially unable to complete the second exam, I am... pulling them from training ground forty-four on my own cognizance," Kurenai asserted.

Shino, trembling slightly, picked up Akamaru from their hiding spot and carried him while Kurenai carried Hinata.

"What about you, Anko?" Kakashi inquired, staring straight ahead at a tree, not wanting to look at Team Akachi.

Anko looked indecisive. Two members of the team were unconscious and a third missing. But it was Sasuke who answered.

"If we're withdrawn from the test..." he began, while checking Haku and Shikamaru, "...then that means we'll no longer be here in the Forest. Right?"

"Correct," replied Yamato, who had finally calmed himself.

"We refuse," Sasuke said flatly. "Naruto is missing. But we wish to look for him while there is still time."

"We?" repeated Asuma. "So far, it looks like you're the only member of your team still standing."

"We," repeated Sasuke firmly. "Haku and Shikamaru are only unconscious. Orochimaru didn't bother to hurt them when he attacked them. They'll wake up soon, if I am any judge. If Naruto is still out here, then we'll find him — and Haku would kill me if I didn't give him the chance."

This drew chuckles from Kakashi and Anko and puzzled looks from the other jounin.

"And if you don't find him?" asked Yamato.

"Then we fail the test... as would any team that didn't arrive at the tower with all their team members," Sasuke answered. "And at least we'll know we tried."

--

The impact of the shattered tree branch was felt throughout the entirety of the Forest of Death. Had it been in another area, or even a different branch on the tree, there would have been no response, no thought of reprisal. Most likely, there wouldn't have even been a disturbance of their slumber. But the branch landed on the exposed root of one tree in particular.

Most of the Ancients had been napping for fifty years or more. An eye-blink in their estimation, really. But their consciousness was slow to rally — it could sometimes take hours, or even a few days for one to fully awaken from its slumber — much of the reason why they had entered into the agreement with the biped animals that made their lairs so near the grove. They could alter the behaviors of such things as termites and boring beetles, but the bipedal animals were actually capable of thought, in a crude fashion. Forming instincts in creatures that could think was more trouble than merely speaking to them, so long as they had the ability to manipulate wood chakra, an ability exceedingly rare amongst a people who most commonly had an affinity for fire.

This tree, however, had been approaching torpor for only about six months, just nodding off. And when the branch had fallen on the equivalent of its toe, its consciousness was roused within minutes. Only to find a strange tableau before it: an assembly of the bipeds who identified this area as their territory facing off against another, who had about him the aura of a serpent. There were several bipeds cowering; another in a pain-induced state that was rapidly approaching unconsciousness; and a poisoned quadruped with the aura of another biped that lay dead on the forest floor. The tree noticed something interesting about the biped in pain: he had an affinity for wood chakra.

Something was interfering with the wounded biped's organs and chakra flow — several somethings, in fact, although only a couple of them were actively harmful. A strange parasitical energy was attempting to alter the biochemistry of the biped, one of the ATMA- the sources of power from the power stones granted to the negotiator biped who had called himself Shodaimehokage- was bound inside the biped and desperately attempting to fight off the parasite while simultaneously attempting to repair other severe damage to the thinking structure of the creature, repairing minor damage that was accruing due to a chakra overload from several imbued genetic abilities. And to top it all off, the thought matrix of the creature — the gestalt of energies and choices that collectively made up what the bipeds referred to as souls — was hiding within itself as new memories and emotions resurfaced when certain portions of its thinking structures were repaired.

The creature was an impressive piece of work… if you liked fixer-uppers. And Ishilaphunirikilawaratahagateta loved repairing living things almost as much as he loved creating new ones.

Judging by that fallen branch, the agreed upon security seemed a little lax. But then, all the damage was to one of the younger, uninfused spirit shells. And it was a rather unhealthy specimen, anyways.

The attention of all the bipeds — those which were standing, at any rate — was focused on the one with the aura of serpent. Chakra bubbled and welled up, the ground gently parted, and carried the fixer-upper to the core of his root system where "Ishi" could manipulate chakra the best.

When the creature got there, Ishi focused all his attention inwards at the living creature held under his roots. He immediately began funneling oxygen to it. He was quite familiar with the needs and necessities of creatures such as this. New details began popping up as it began a more thorough examination. This specimen was suffering from unhealthy degrees of nutrients obviously hadn't been taking in proper nutritional balance for a long time, most of its life, if he was any judge — especially of late, where not only had vitamins, minerals, and such been imbalanced but calories entirely insufficient for its needs. The poor creature's fat reserves were all but gone, even those stored internally in the liver. Examination of the mental gestalt revealed the reason for this, feelings of guilt and insecurity, of having been forced into actions contrary to its nature. Loathing for itself. It seemed to base its self-image on the judgments of the other bipeds around it. What a silly notion. Didn't it comprehend the nature of its…

Its gifts were all self-imbued? That took some talent. And the ability to manipulate wood chakra was also self-imbued? As well as half a dozen other talents and abilities the creature had woven into its genetic matrix. Finally, he touched on a chakra weaving embedded on the biped's belly. How ingenious! So that was how the bipeds managed the implantation of an ATMA directly into the host creature from one of the remnant power stones. Of course, its power would be better used from a power stone to benefit more of the creatures around it, but it certainly ensured that the host biped would never run out of energy to activate its genetic abilities. And because of this, the biped was able to effect its own empowerment. All this at a stage where most of its species were still all but larva. Clearly a natural talent here. Ishi couldn't wait to fix it and wake it up so he could communicate with it.

It was amazing what these crude and dim bipeds could accomplish with the meager scraps of information the Ancients had traded for the security of their Grove. He would repair this creature and send it on its merry way. It would be done in a flash. He briefly considered just repairing its damage and letting it go... but... Oh! the biped could be such a work of art when he was done! So many things mixed up into one package. He would polish the rough edges of their work, and demonstrate what a finished product was supposed to look like. With a masterpiece like this under his bark, just think of the bragging rights it would give him among the other Ancients! All it would take was a tiny smidgen of time.

After all, the bipeds wouldn't be likely to miss it. It would only be a few days; not very long, even by their ephemeral standards.

**End Chapter 14**

-AN: Ishilaphunirikilawaratahagateta is pronounced Ish-ee-lah-foo-near-ee-key-lah-war-uh-ta-hah-gah-tay-tah. In case anybody asks or cares- which I highly doubt anyone will. Yes, I came up with a way to pronounce that monstrosity. It's a name from a story I wrote eleven years ago that was crap, utter and complete garbage and I cringe to think that I was once proud to have written it. But my favorite character was the dragon, who I still have a soft spot for in my heart, and the name above was his name. I recycled it. Remember to recycle, else you'll have a lot of names cluttering uop your mental landfill and making new ones is always more costly in dying brain cells than simply reusing the old ones. And I can't afford to lose brain cells- I have too few as it is.

I know I could have added an Omake here but honestly, I didn't really have one. This chapter was rough on me, as I had to wrench everything word by stubborn word from the depths of my mind. So if you have questions I'll do my best to answer them. I've got a forum up for Rogue Fox, it should be available on my profile, if I did it correctly. I look forward to any reviews and commentary- your reviews help keep me motivated.

-AXENOME


	17. Chapter Fifteen: Pastiche

Previously: After a devastating battle where Kiba was slain by a falling branch, Naruto was overcome by Orochimaru's shrewd thinking and superior knowledge and skills. But Sasuke- the genin that the snake sannin had counted out- managed to prove that Orochimaru's judgement was not infallible, and stalled him until help could arrive. Before Orochimaru could repeat his prior performance, the jonin instructors of the participants in the second exam arrived to head the fight against Orochimaru. As all eyes were focused on the snake nin, a curious Ancient abducts the Konoha jinchuuriki, and has identified a number of flaws he intends to fix in this strange, fascinating creature, who has combined many different abilities into himself...

**Chapter Fifteen: **Pastiche

_pas·tiche pa-__**steesh**__, pah- –noun : 1. A literary, musical, or artistic piece consisting wholly or chiefly of motifs or techniques borrowed from one or more sources. 2. an incongruous combination of materials, forms, motifs, etc., taken from different sources. __**-dictionary(dot)com, Unabridged, version 1.1**_

-admittedly it is an intriguing creature-

-yes Ishilaphunirikilowaratahagateta indeed it has an amazing intuitive grasp of life shaping for being a member of such a limited species but why awaken us from our torpor this could easily have waited til we next awoke-

-this creature has a hodge podge of conflicting traits-

-Ishilaphunirikilowaratahagateta can it hear us-

-yes Takahomaratuchidohemnaphuniri it is awakening itself-

-amazing how quickly they awaken do they never truly sleep-

-of course Takahomaratuchidohemnaphuniri their sleeps are often a mere eight hours or less-

-how can they rest in so little a time-

-but to the original question why are we awoken for this-

-because there is a parasitical energy that is altering it and I cannot seem to remove it-

-this looks somehow familiar-

-of course it does Amarolemnionnakajeshni you did something similar with beetles-

-yes the kikaichu of course-

-how annoying the energy continues to attempt to alter his body-

-I see your problem Ishilaphunirikilowaratahagateta it has entwined itself with the trait you have been playing around with-

-how could you tell that I had been tinkering with that trait lkuaheshoniphabachipabu-

-I have known you since you awakened sprout I would know your handiwork anywhere-

-well guess again all I have done is consolidate two separate traits it carried and smoothed out their conflicts-

-so Ishilaphunirikilowaratahagateta then you merely refined the work that this biped began-

-incredible that a creature with so crude a thinking matrix could grant unto itself sight such as ours-

-indeed Takahomaratuchidohemnaphuniri and-

_Bii-san? Is that you? You sound... funny..._

-wait-

The other "voices" hushed. The one that had halted their conversation continued, -it is awake now and it can hear us-

--

Naruto felt confined. His arms and legs were in a neutral position and he had a feeling of sudffocating closeness, although his breathing was working just fine.It was dark, here. Naruto tried again. _Bii-san? Are you there?_

-what is this bisan it is asking of Ishilaphuhnirikilowaratahagateta-

-I do not know I will dissect its matrix-

**NO WAIT DON'T**

Then Naruto felt a searing pain in his head and his mind was torn violently open.

--

-Takahomaratuchidohemnaphuniri this was unexpected-

-indeed for an animal it is quite bright-

-much of this is the influence of its modifications to itself Amarolemnionnakajeshni-

-do you imply the effects of the sharingan/byakugan as it calls these traits with which it imbued itself Ishilaphunirikilowaratahagateta-

-the damage constantly repaired caused dendritic fibers to be progressively brachiated and reinforced as they burned themselves out and were renewed partial connections repaired along with those completely lost each time a cell was killed-

-what gross effect do you infer from these events-

-it has an untapped intellect at its command that when fully repaired may exceed that of any of its species-

-Ishilaphunirikilowaratahagateta the parasite is advancing into its intellect-

-fascinating the chakra parasite affects instincts judgement reason emotion hormonal and adrenal centers look at it go to work now that the biped's mental defenses are stripped away-

-as fascinating as this may be Takahomaratuchidohemnaphuniri the parasite is causing possibly fatal alterations we need to take action-

-indeed the parasite is permanently intertwined with the biped but we can possibly make alterations to the infection itself and head off the damage this way-

-it is resisting us-

-where could such a thing have come from-

-endocrinal alterations are cascading-

-reestablishing proper hormonal secretion balance-

-encountering autonomic neurological function failure-

-inducing autonomic signals to preserve biological support-

-Amarolemnionnakajeshni it is invading his judgement centers in his brain-

-I need more time-

-pancreas and thymus are being compromised his temperature regulation is becoming unstable-

-Takahomaratuchidohemnaphuniri awaken the others immediately regardless how hard it may be because we will need their help-

-how many others Ishilaphunirikilowaratahagateta-

-all of them-

--

_Three days later_

Naruto awoke slowly, a strange feeling of peace in his body as he attempted to take in where he was, what had happened to him. He felt a strange sense of clarity in his thoughts, as though his mind were unbounded by the limitations of flesh. _Hello? Bii-san? Are you... are you still there?_

-the being whom you know of as bisan is asleep-

_Asleep? Why is he asleep? And hey, who is this?_

-I am Ishilaphunirikilowaratahagateta your ATMA is recovering from a large strain as we used him to short cut your recuperation-

_Recuperation? What do you mean recuperation? Recuperation from what?_

-we were forced to make... some alterations-

--

The last of the daylight was fading. The darkness of the night was filling in the hollows of the tree roots quickly; crouched in one such an alcove was the three remaining members of team Akachi.

"We've searched the majority of the forest." Shikamaru said.

"He's out there, somewhere. I know it." Sasuke replied.

"Sasuke." Shikamaru said. "We have to face the possibility that Naruto really did go with him."

**"NO!!"** Sasuke roared, grabbed Shikamaru and slamming him against the tree. "I **WON'T **accept that! Not him! He's too strong for-"

"Sasuke san..." Haku said softly. "You said yourself that the oto nin defeated Naruto... it is possible that he took him by force..."

"..." Sasuke suddenly let Shikamaru go. As the Nara heir rubbed at his neck, Sasuke turned away and took a couple of shuddering steps before dropping to his knees in the dirt. He placed a hand on the nearby tree. "Dammit."

"Sasuke." Shikamaru said. "We should leave the forest. Naruto had the scrolls. And even if we DID have them, without Naruto we couldn't pass anyways."

"What about you?!" Sasuke snarled, glaring at Haku. "How can you want to give up! Aren't you in love with him?!"

Haku flinched backwards, his face bright red. "I- I don't... I mean, he's-"

"Sasuke!" Shikamaru snapped. "Listen to yourself! If somebody was hearing this conversation, they'd say if anyone is in love with him, it would be you!"

"He's more my brother than Itachi ever was!" Sasuke yelled back. "He's the only family I have left and I _WON'T_ GIVE _UP_ ON HIM!!"

There was a moment of silence. The light breeze of the early evening rustled the leaves high above them with a sussurant whispering. Shikamaru shook his head after a moment. "By all the Kami above, Sasuke, you're such a pain."

"So you want to give up on him?" Demanded Sasuke.

"No." Shikamaru said. He pulled out a kunai and began scraping dirt out from under his nails. "I realize he may not be as... central to my life as he is to you two... but looking around out here is spinning our wheels. We've spent more than eighty hours looking for him here in the Forest, and no matter how many times you search a place, if the thing you're looking for isn't there you WON'T find it. Sasuke, get it THROUGH your head- Naruto ISN'T here." He flicked the bit of grime off the tip of his kunai, before scowling. "Man, I wish Choji was here."

"Huh?" Asked Sasuke. "Why him?"

"He's my best friend- I find I think better when he's around." Shikamaru replied. "Besides, strength for strength he's probably as strong as Naruto."

"Pfft! That lard ball?" Sasuke scoffed. "No way he could hold a candle to Naruto."

"Don't underestimate him." Shikamaru said coldly. "Choji is stronger than you know. He doesn't know all the jutsu's Naruto does, and Naruto _is_ really talented at fighting... But Choji has a brute strength that could go toe to toe even with Naruto."

"Hmph." Sasuke snorted, looking up at the branches far above them. "If you say so."

Haku hung his head, eyes closed. _Naruto sama... where are you?_

--

Naruto watched as Kabuto landed lightly on the branch ahead- he'd been keeping watch over team Akachi when the blond genin had arrived. He had learned much with his new Kamigan- most notably, that Kabuto was something other than he claimed himself to be. His chakra control was exquisite- and his reserves were great, perhaps even as high as those of Kakashi sensei. He'd been surprised by the degree of information the slight activation of the new Kamigan had given him, and had to admit that for the loss of certain aspects of the Sharingan and the Byakugan, it was a more than fair trade.

The Ancients had talked to him extensively after they had repaired the damage to his mind, some of which had been inflicted by their initial, rough examination, but most of which he had inflicted on himself, or had suffered from his inner nature competing against the nature of the ATMA within him, the Kyuubii. It had indeed been a foolish organism they had caught before, but he was... more than he had been.

He flickered the Kamigan again- he no longer had the option to activate Byakugan or Sharingan separately, now, only the combinatory ability. The Mangekyou was for now lost, more or less, although the Ancients had assured him it was merely a matter of relearning how to use what was already in him. The Kamigan could no longer teach him jutsu for the time being, and his ability to see the chakra pathways was likewise at least temporarily diminished- both of these, according to the ancients, were the fault of the Chakra parasite that Sanninorochimaru had implanted in him in the final moments of their battle. But its ability to destabilize control in a bearer's chakra had instead infused the Kamigan with the ability to disrupt chakra flow and control in anything he touched with a counter burst of 'chakra static'.

He couldn't use it to block tenketsu, of course, but all he needed was to contact a pathway on their chakra coil with a burst of his own chakra to disrupt the shape of a jutsu- meaning given a fast enough response he could probably disrupt any advanced jutsu, although the simple stuff wouldn't be affected nearly as much. His mind flashed to the sixth question on the test and snickered. It likely wouldn't affect the basic academy jutsu at all, they were so easily crafted... an odd little vulnerability of the ability, not to mention that while he used it his ability to execute jutsu was also disrupted.

The sight of the Kamigan... He could read moves, but his ability to learn jutsus from it was possibly gone for good. When fully retrained, he might be capable of learning faster than any unaided individual, possibly even approaching the speed of learning inherent to a Sharingan user, but he would never be able to mirror jutsus in the fashion that Kakashi did. Naruto didn't mind this too much- somehow, when he contemplated that particular tactic of Sharingan use, it struck him as rather cheapening of the skills so acquired. Mind it or not, however, the alteration was a necessary action, they'd said, as it was the chakra overload of this aspect that would kill him were it not for the ATMA within him- who would have guessed that was the proper name for the Biijuu!- and had he passed the former ability on to his children, would have killed them as well.

And that was another thing- the tangled mess of bloodlines he'd implanted in himself had made him sterile- a condition the ancients had reversed. But they'd not only made him able to sire children, they also implanted his abilities into his bloodline. Naruto wasn't certain how he felt about this.

Naruto noticed the look on Kabuto's face. Straining his ears, he listened to what Kabuto was whispering to himself.

--

_There you all are,_ Kabuto thought to himself, as he touched down on the branch. _But still no sign of Uzumaki._ _At least the Uchiha kid is here. _He sighed._ There's no way Orochimaru san would have taken Naruto, he wanted Sasuke to reach the semi finals. He wouldn't just throw that away on a whim... would he?_

Kabuto found himself feeling... conflicted.

("Anyone who attacks a citizen of Konoha in my presence… their life is forfeit.")

A member of his home village- his TRUE village- attacked him. He'd been prepared for the risk of suich a thing, of course, but... Konoha had the largest number of applicants this yea, over eighty. Of them, not even his own team mates came to his aid when the Otogakure genin attacked... Yet the Kyuubii container, one of the most disliked shinobi in the village, came to his aid. There were Konoha Nuke nin looked on with less animosity... and he stepped up to help him. Not just Naruto- all of team Akachi, all four of them, stood ready to defend him.

("Where we can, we help one another.")

And they had- all he'd really given them was a little information on Subaku no Gaara... And they'd repaid him by risking life and promotion. For the others, it would have seemed a fair exchange, except...

("Anyone who attacks a citizen of Konoha in my presence… their life is forfeit.")

Except Kabuto was certain that Naruto stepping to his defense had nothing to do with their deal. He felt certain that Naruto would have done it, deal or no deal... and that bothered him.

"Uzumaki Naruto, where are you?"

"I'm right behind you."

Kabuto nearly yelled out- reflexively, he spun, chakra scalpels forming in his hands, when his wrist was blocked by a hand. He felt chakra flow out of control in his hand, and the precision chakra scalpel dispersed. "Hey, easy, man! Did you want my help or what?"

Kabuto looked at the blond genin before him. It was Naruto, undeniably Naruto but... Different. Kabuto gaped. "Naruto... what happened to you?"

Naruto was taller- incredibly so. Kabuto had been almost a full foot taller than Naruto during the first exam- but now, Naruto had somehow gained three or four inches. And Naruto's eyes- they'd held a constant tension before, a mounting anxiety and pain. But now they were... calm. Almost hypnotically so. Naruto's expression became thoughtful as he considered the question. "I don't know if I can tell you." He responded finally.

Kabuto blinked. "You don't trust me?" Somehow, though it was a smart move, Kabuto felt... somewhat put off by the thought.

"No, it's not that. Simply... there really aren't any words to... describe what happened to me." Naruto said after a moment.

Kabuto was stunned. His speech, his very motions... everything about him was different, and yet... still very much Naruto. Naruto's eyes flickered oddly; a pulse of black that covered iris and sclera alike, before returning to normal. "You have two scrolls. That's good. Do you know where your team is?" He asked.

Kabuto paused, then nodded. "Ah... Yes, they're waiting for me near the tower. When I meet up with them, we'll finish the exam."

"That's why you're here, then? Safety in numbers?"

Kabuto nodded again. "Exactly. We had a deal, right? Your turn to hold up your end."

"Then let's go meet up with my team... but you go down there first. I'd like to... surprise them."

--

The last rays of sunlight were fading, giving the forest a deeply shadowed look that seemed darker than pitch black night, for the contrast made it hard to see anything. Team Akachi was relaxing into their sheltering tree root when the crunch of leaves accompanied footsteps that slowly drew nearer.

Sasuke's hands shot to his weapon pouch, but Haku moved faster. An ice mirror shot over to the approaching figure in the unsteady twilight, and Haku stepped out from it, a senbon poised at the throat of the tall figure.

"Whoa! Is this how you greet your friends?"

Sasuke lowered the kunai he'd drawn but didn't put it away. "Kabuto?"

Shikamaru looked over at the genin. "Not necessarily." He cocked his head to the side. "What was on Naruto's card for Sasuke, Kabuto?"

Kabuto's eyes flicked slightly wider as he tried to suppress his laugh at the memory. "A r-really long collar."

Sasuke scowled, the severe expression belied by the glint of humor in his eyes at the treacherous corner of his mouth that attempted to turn upwards. Shikamaru relaxed. "Good. It is you."

"Not just me." Kabuto intimated mysteriously. "I've found something you lost." Kabuto looked behind himself into the trees.

Sasuke looked in the direction Kabuto indicated, as did Haku and Shikamaru. There was an indistinct shape in the shadows that dropped down from the tree above them.

Haku's breath caught in his throat, and his heart threatened to burst from his chest. "Naruto sama?"

The figure strolled liquidly into the camp- too tall and too fluid, his graceful motions a sharp contrast to the former pruposeful prowl of the blond genin, and what was more, this new figure was three inches or more taller than the blond assassin. His clothes were short on the boy's body- there was no questioning the red and black of team Akachi, but the frame they adorned wasn't that of the deadly Konoha genin. But the greatest difference was in his eyes- no longer haunted, no longer strained, their former slate grey had been replaced with a sharp blue like an endlessly deep ocean. "Haku." He looked back at Sasuke. "I know I'm not much like I was before- how long was I gone?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, and raised his kunai. "You're the worst henge I've ever seen. You don't walk like Naruto, you're much too tall, and you don't act like him. So you're here to take our scrolls. Since you've got Naruto's clothes, I can only assume you either beat him or are with whoever it was who did. But we don't have our scrolls, Naruto had them, so this is fairly pointless."

Naruto looked at Sasuke with a bland face as he began to recite, "Tazuna, our first mission. I fought the Demon brothers with you, used a lightning jutsu on their chain. You found my juggling funny. I fought Zabuza to free Kakashi from a water prison. You feared me because of an advancement I had made with my Sharingan. While I slept you proposed that I probably shouldn't wake up. Need I go on?"

Shikamaru looked utterly befuddled. "Naruto? It's seriously you? What happened?"

"Mind telling me how long I've been gone? The others were, um, a little vague on how much time had passed."

"It has been three days since... you were taken from us." Haku said softly. "What happened to you?"

Naruto shook his head. "It'd take too long to explain. We move out at midnight. Oh, and by the way," He said, pulling a pair of scrolls out of his tool bag on his leg. "As soon as midnight passes, it's the fifth day. Best to get there before we have to fight everyone left in the forest."

"We probably already have." Sasuke snorted. "Although, you wouldn't believe how useful that glass trick is when setting up snares."

Naruto raised an eyebrow, before he stared slightly off. His eyes flickered to a liquid black- in the light of dusk it seemed as though his eyes had vanished into empty holes before the blackness receded. "Ah. Clever. Wish I'd thought of that before."

"N-Naruto sama...!" Haku said, taken aback by the terrifying eyes he'd shown. "What- what just-"

"There's been some changes in my Kamigan." Naruto replied. "But never mind that." Naruto looked at Shikamaru and Haku with a gentle expression they'd never seen on him before. "I'm sorry I worried you."

"You didn't-" Sasuke began, but Naruto cut him off.

"I didn't worry you, Sasuke? No... I didn't... I scared _you_ out of your mind. And I'm sorry for that too." Naruto shook his head. "Get some rest, guys. I'll keep watch."

--

The moonlight was strong as it filtered through the leaves- with Naruto's kamigan pulsing every five seconds, he maintained surveillance over all the snares and surrounding terrain easily- a brillliant influx of information each time he did so.

**KID.**

_So. You're awake, now. Are you feeling better?_

**NOW YOU UNDERSTAND WHY I DIDN'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT... WHAT I KNEW.**

_Yes. You were an ATMA. You were originally created to kill them by others of their kind, and were only halted when others of their kind figured out how to capture you and seal you into an object.You had a history with them. But I never would have guessed that the confines of my chakra coils would cause you pain- a being so great and powerful as yourself, in torment for fourteen years, now. No wonder you hated me._

**I... DON'T HATE YOU. THE PAIN I'VE BEEN IN WAS VERY MUCH LIKE WHAT YOU FELT EVERY TIME A MEMBER OF THE VILLAGE TURNED THEIR BACK ON YOU. IT... GAVE ME MORE OF A REASON TO UNDERSTAND YOU. AND YOU ARE THE REASON I'M NO LONGER IN PAIN NOW. HAD YOU NOT INTERVENED WITH THE ANCIENTS ON MY BEHALF...**

_I suppose. You've been healing my wounds for fourteen years, relieving my physical pain. I would be remiss were I not to do the same for you as soon as I found it within my ability._

**YOU WERE NOT THE ONE WHO CAUSED MY PAIN- THAT BLAME LAY ON THE SHOULDERS OF HE WHO SEALED ME IN YOU. **Kyuubii paused. **MY NATURE WAS TO KILL. IT WAS WHAT I WAS CREATED FOR. FOR A GREAT TIME I LAY DORMANT IN THE NINTH PHILOSOPHERS STONE, AND BEFORE THAT, I RAMPAGED AND DESTROYED MUCH AS I WAS CREATED TO DO... BUT I NEVER HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT LIFE WAS LIKE UNTIL I HAD LIVING FORCED ONTO ME. FOR ALL THAT I'VE EXISTED FOR TIME UNCOUNTABLE... I'D NEVER KNOWN LIFE. IT IS A HUMBLING EXPERIENCE.**

_They told me that they altered you inside of me. That they altered your instincts because it was your connection to my mind that was driving me insane, your nature intruding on mine that created a dual personality, an echo of your nature of destruction. They had to do that at the same time as they were altering me, and as they were altering what the snake nin did to me._

**HOW DID THEY ALTER YOU?**

_My chakra coils were drastically altered and given a tertiary redundancy- that's why you aren't in pain anymore. I can't activate Byakugan or Sharingan separately, and my Kamigan itself functions so differently now that I have to relearn how to use it all over again. All the other Kekkei genkai from the scroll that we decided on? They removed them completely, used them as bait for the chakra parasite and removed the most harmful aspects of it when they removed the abilities. All I have left now is Kamigan and Mokuchi. They reformed my physical body into what it should have been without my almost constant state of malnutrition from when I was younger- too much ramen and not enough vegetable or good proteins. They removed my sterility, and turned the Kamigan into a true Kekkei genkai I can pass along to my children... if I ever have any. They also warned me that attempting too many kekkei genkai in one body will strain the chakra systems of anyone in my bloodline, probably killing them, and even if it doesn't, it will sterilize them like I had done to myself. Few other things._

**JUST A COUPLE OF CHANGES.** The mental tone the Kyuubii used held a wry amusement. **WHY DO YOU MERELY FLICKER BACK AND FORTH FROM YOUR EYESIGHT TO THE KAMIGAN?**

_It uses less chakra than keeping it on continuously. I know it doesn't take me as much chakra as it used to when it was both Byakugan and Shingan still, but... Waste not, want not, I guess._

Naruto's Kamigan flickered again, but this time he caught on the periphery of his awareness a genin in a rubber suit, wearing the headband of Takigakure. Naruto stopped flickering it, and fully activated it with as low an amount of chakra as he could manage. Despite this precaution, the curse mark throbbed- he'd quickly learned through experimentation that so long as his chakra shaping was kept to a minimum, the mark wouldn't pain him- and regretted again the caginess that the Ancients had exercised as to the full effects of the chakra parasite. His volumetric field of perception narrowed to a long cone, and he saw both teams from Takigakure approaching, carefully navigating their way around the glass spheres that had been arrayed around the camp. He realized, as his strengthened perception registered the rubber suited nin following the slight moisture trail, that they had been tracking the path of water vapor that team Akachi had been exhaling.

Naruto shook his head. Both teams were here- and they had between them one each of heaven and earth scrolls. Meaning that by taking down team Akachi they could fulfill the needs of both teams in one stroke.

_Not tonight, you won't._ Naruto focused- he had no idea if this would work, but the chakra coil redundancy allowed him more flexibility in his chakra control, letting him recycle excess chakra and more easily handle smaller amounts than before. He located a root system with the Kamigan and applied his chakra to it, encouraging growth. The plants to which it was connected expanded, swelling upwards and widening, until the threads which had been bound about them, supporting the glass spheres, finally stretched too far and snapped.

There was a staccato of tinkling and shattering glass, and after a moment, a pair of muffled cries and some thumping noises of bodies striking the forest floor. Rapid footsteps accompanied dragging noises that faded away into the night, and all was quiet once more.

Naruto closed his eyes. They would not have done any less, and likely would have done more, given the chance. And he would not watch his friends bleed their life into the dirt.

He quietly got up, pulled thread from his pack while carefully watching the area surrounding the camp, and began resetting the snares.

--

Team Akachi watched as Kabuto rejoined his team. Kabuto's demeanor was severely shaken- Yoroi stepped close to him as they walked into the tower. "What the hell is wrong with you?" He demanded in a low, sneering voice. "Where is the medic nin Kabuto? Where is the favored disciple of-"

"Yoroi." Said Kabuto shakily. "Orochimaru sama has made a terrible mistake. And if we're not careful we're all going to die."

"What happened to you?" Misuma asked him.

"Not to me." Kabuto said with a shudder. "But it doesn't matter. Orochimaru has set his touch on something that should never have been disturbed. And we have to warn him."

Kabuto and Misuma unfurled their scrolls, watched as their sensei acknowledged their completion of the second exam.

As they continued to their temporary quarters, Kabuto handed a quartet of cards in passing to the Otogakure Jonin sensei. The Oto nin made no acknowledgement of the cards. "Kabuto. I think it would be nice if you advanced to the third exam, and attempted it."

Kabuto stopped, and turned back to face him. "Orochimaru sama... I must respectfully decline."

Orochimaru smiled. "If you face him, you might die." He commented softly. "If you betray me, you WILL."

Kabuto's eyes were tense. "Why did you save me?" He asked slowly. "Just to kill me here?"

"Do you have what it takes to be a chunin?" Orochimaru replied. "Have you forgotten the lesson they drive home in the second exam? There is risk to all aspects of being a shinobi. Besides- he rather likes you."

"That will change on the day of the third exam." Kabuto replied, shuddering. "When he finds out-"

"By the day of the third exam, he will already be mine." Orochimaru answered. "And by the end of that day, there will no longer be a Konoha. So don't worry. I still need you- and I wouldn't risk you needlessly, even if the risk itself is minimal- he rather likes you, you know."

"He likes me, but he doesn't trust me. And those eyes of his..."

"Yes?" Orochimaru said with a smile. "Do go on."

"They began as something... slipshod, almost," Kabuto related with a thoughtfuly expression, thoughtfullness leavened with fear. "But they've evolved into something that terrifies me. His eyes see... everything."

Orochimaru shivered with a grin. "And you can still ask me if he is worth having?"

"He sees with the eyes of a Kami." Kabuto said firmly, his own eyes pleading with Orochimaru. "We face him and he will kill us."

"His eyes will be mine, Kabuto kun." Orochimaru said. "And you need not worry yourself- you could take on even Sharingan Kakashi, should you set your mind to it. If push came to shove, and you fought Naruto-"

"You don't understand." Kabuto said. "Orochimaru sama... the card I gave you on Uzumaki should explain everything. The only reason we have any time whatsoever is the mark you gave him... but that mark makes him all the more deadly. Kimimaro himself could not defeat him now, and should Naruto learn to use the mark as have the Sound Four-"

"Five." Orochimaru said calmly.

"Then Kimimaro has recovered?" Kabuto said hopefully.

"No." Orochimaru said smugly. "But we have found a new member to swell their ranks, and all it took was for me to get him a new sword- along with a few other minor alterations. Don't worry, Kabuto kun- all will be mine, in the end."

--

Team Akachi watched as Kabuto rejoined his team. Per Kabuto's request, they waited for several minutes before they entered the tower as well. They found themselves standing before a massive framed scroll, depicting a quotation on the virtues of shinobi.

"The scrolls." Said Shikamaru. "Yamato-san said we don't open them before we enter the tower."

"I guess we open them now." Sasuke answered.

Naruto nodded in agreement, pulling out the scrolls as team Akachi stood underneath the sign quoting the Sandaime Hokage. He handed one to Shikamaru, the other to Sasuke, while he and Haku kept watch. There was a puff of smoke, as Kakashi appeared, holding an orange covered book. "Yo." He said with a little wave, not looking up. "Congratulations on passing the second exam."

**End Chapter Fifteen**

-AN: Takigakure, waterfall village- portrayed as a rather pathetic little place in Battle at Hidden Falls. I can only assume that the loss of their most promising genin at the Chuunin exam caused a definite harm to their forces, as in the special Takigakure's ninja really aren't that great. But if you examine the manga carefully, between the completion of the first exam and the start of the second, you will notice that four separate ninja outfits are drawn on the four ninja portrayed wearing the hitai ate of Takigakure. I conclude from this(Since only complete teams passed the first exam) That either 1) both of the teams from Takigakure passed the first exam, either through superior cheating or superior knowledge, or 2) Kishimoto screwed up bigtime and forgot that he only listed six entrants from Takigakure on Kabuto's information card. I'm going with the first interpretation and concluding that the abilities of the Takigakure nin are subtle and sneaky, even if not expecially powerful, and thus the two teams are likely to be crafty and bide their time.

I'd like to thank all of you who reviewed after chapter Fourteen, and am a little flattered by the degree of response it received. I hope to put forward a good story, and I'm glad so many people liked the fight between Orochimaru and Sasuke. Incidentally, Sasuke didn't get the curse mark... but that doesn't mean to say he's not going to. Nor does the previous sentence mean he IS going to. I will let you all puzzle out the meaning of that little bit yourselves. Just to muddy the waters further, I'll let you know that both of those sentences were true.

Beyond that, I'd like to say that this has been a blast to write, but this chapter was if anything harder than the one which preceded it. Hopefully things will get a little bit easier for the next few chapters as I have a clear image of what happens next in my mind's eye. So the next few chapters should flow MUCH more smoothly. I recognize it's SEVERELY shoddy, and with my prereader's assistance, it will hopefully improve. But a day late, well, better than not at all. Again, my apologies for the delay, and hopefully the preread chapter by wednesday 10-8.

Ja mata.

-AXENOME


	18. Chapter Sixteen: Mother

**Note:** The cleaned, editted, and preread version. Enjoy!

**Second Note:** Thanks to Missingnin spotting a math error XD hopefully I won't make TOO many more of those.

Previously: At dusk on the night of the fourth day, Naruto rejoined Team Akachi and, together with Kabuto, who had been separated from his own team, at midnight they set out for the tower in the middle of training ground 44. Naruto is still hampered by the effects of the curse mark, but his mind is no longer conflicted, and he seems to be able to function normally again. While this is a great relief to the other members of Team Akachi, Kabuto is terrified of Naruto, despite assurances by Orochimaru that the risks are minimal. Kabuto, against his own wishes and against even his prior stated mission to gather information on Konoha, will for the first time attempt the Third Test in the Chunin Exam. As the arena within the tower is prepared for combat, the newly arrived genin prepare themselves for the unknown, and the examiners look over the butcher's bill for the bloodiest Chunin Exam in recent memory...

**Chapter Sixteen: Mother**

"Is this all of them?" Kakashi asked, puffing on the noxious pipe, still in the henge of the Sandaime Hokage.

"Yes, Hokage-sama," answered Kaga. He handed the 'Hokage' another stack of papers, larger than the first. "This is the list of casualties."

Kakashi sighed, looking over the second list. The first nineteen were DoA's: eight Konoha genin- including the Inuzuka rookie, three genin from Suna, four from Ame, three under Kusa hitai-ite, and one was Taki. The next five were those who had died in the hospital: four more from Konoha and another from Ame. The last six were too wounded to continue, consisting of three Suna, one Taki, and two from Konoha. Kakashi felt a sinking feeling as he noted that fourteen of the dead and two of the critically wounded were affected by large, close-range sprays of glass shrapnel. According to reports, most of these had been due to traps, some of which ANBU were still tracking down to remove so that future exams might still make use of training ground 44.

_DAMN the council!_ Kakashi swore silently with venom. _How did Sarutobi-sama ever deal with that bunch of short-sighted fools? Couldn't they see the bloodbath they were instigating by setting up Team Akachi the way they did? And why did Gai let them talk him into agreeing? _

"It seems that Ibiki was correct," remarked Yamato. "It would appear that this year's applicants were of exceptional caliber."

"So who remains?" asked Kurenai.

"Six teams," Asuma answered. "Team Akachi, Team Isha, Team Ten, and Team Gai from Konoha. One team also from Takigakure, and the last one is the Jinchuuriki's team from Suna. All the others were eliminated... mostly by Team Akachi."

Kakashi felt a stab of irritation at the implied criticism of his team. Anko simply seemed to ignore it.

The faux-Hokage wished desperately that Sarutobi was here. As long as it looked as though the 'Hokage' was needed to track down the assassin who kept targeting members of the Council, they needed one who knew as many jutsu as possible, including Kage Bunshin. _Especially_ Kage Bunshin. _Dammit, Gai!_ he thought to himself. _If only you'd try to use more than your fists! At LEAST the Kage Bunshin. How can you impersonate the Hokage if you don't know the Kage Bunshin?_

Intellectually, Kakashi knew he wasn't being fair. There were only three ninja currently in Konoha who knew the technique and one of them was himself. No, correction, only two; the Hokage had left Konoha for all intents and purposes. Unless he or Naruto were to attempt to teach Gai the technique, the only place Gai would be able to learn it from was the Forbidden Scroll. And the initial choice of Gai to spend the lion's share of the time impersonating the Hokage was because after Sarutobi-sama, Gai _was_ the strongest ninja in the village.

"Found it," said Kaga from the direction of the security monitor. "This is what I wanted to show you. Two things. First, look at the time stamp."

The assembly of high ranking shinobi gathered around the monitor. "Impressive," Kakashi said. "Jinchuuriki no Sunagakure. His team has beaten the previous record holder by four hours."

Kaga froze the image, with the tattooed ninja looking directly into the camera. It was a clear shot, as clear as any they'd ever seen on a security monitor. "Look closer," prompted Kaga. "What's wrong with this picture?"

"He's clean," Anko answered with no hesitation. "He doesn't have a smudge of dirt or even a mosquito bite."

"He _does_ seem to live up to advance billing," Asuma noted, nibbling thoughtfully at the fukimibari. He shot a look over at his father's pipe in Kakashi's mouth and gave a small, disconsolate sigh. _I could use a smoke,_ he thought mournfully to himself.

"This presents us with another problem," said Gai in an uncharacteristically somber tone, "in six hours when the time limit for the exam is up. The Council insisted on the special conditions inflicted on Team Akachi, to ensure that Uzumaki Naruto and Subaku no Gaara would fight out here, away from the civilian populace…"

"Are they _insane_?!" exploded Yamato, his normally neutral face infused with a mix of terror and disbelief. "Have they no _conception_ what kind of reaction that would draw from the Ancients?!"

"You forget, Yamato," interrupted Kakashi, carefully listening to everything Yamato was saying. "The majority of the village knows next to nothing about the Ancients." _Including myself,_ Kakashi didn't bother to add. "Even if they did know anything, they would never understand the nature of the danger this would pose."

"None of this matters now," inserted Asuma. "Regardless of what the Council _wanted_, the Suna team didn't take the bait. Meaning the Council — when they get word of this development — will almost certainly insist on rigging the preliminaries to ensure their fight takes place here in the tower rather than in the middle of the village during the finals."

"Disqualify one of them," Kurenai said flatly. "Find a technicality and exploit it. Preferably remove Uzumaki. He needs to be hospitalized."

"No good," Kakashi said, detesting the vile taste the pipe smoke left in his mouth. "The Council will never accept that. They are convinced that if they do not fight within the confines of the Exam they will likely seek each other out in the middle of the village."

"So it's back to rigging the fight for them to fight one another," Asuma concluded.

"That is the most likely order we will receive from them. Good thing that communication between here and the village is so unreliable," Kurenai agreed. "We'll need barrier experts for the finals when they fight one another."

"_If_ they fight each other," Kaga commented.

"Gaara, according to reports, has an ultimate defense that has never been penetrated," Kakashi said. "And Naruto has a truly terrifying offensive capability. About the only people in this exam I truly believe capable of stopping either of them is the other."

Kaga turned back to the monitor and studied the Suna jinchuuriki thoughtfully. "Unstoppable force against immovable object. I wonder what will happen?"

"Lots of collateral damage," Asuma answered absently. "Do we have enough barrier experts?"

"Against _two_ jinchuuriki? Who can say?" Kakashi replied, adopting one of the Sandaime's more thoughtful expressions. "Certainly we'll have more available the day of the finals rather than in the next... five-and-a-half hours."

Hayate coughed a little, drawing attention to himself for the first time in the conversation. "My only concern is that I will not be able to stop their fight by myself. It would be like trying to stop a lava flow in the middle of a tidal wave with a fire extinguisher."

"Then it is decided. For the safety of the other examinees, they cannot fight here. They will be assigned to separate tiers of the preliminary round," Kakashi stated.

"Yes, Hokage-sama." Hayate replied, bowing. "It shall be done."

--

"You have all passed the second exam," Yamato spoke calmly. His even, mild voice was audible and clear, even at the edges of the room. "From this point forward, you no longer advance as a team. You will be judged solely on the merits of your individual—"

There was a commotion at the far end of the room, from the hallway that was flanked on either side by the stairs up to the balcony. A middle aged kunoichi with red, triangular marks tattooed on her cheeks was dragging a pair of proctors who were desperately and unsuccessfully attempting to subdue her. Akamaru was with her, alternately barking into the room toward the teams and their instructors, before turning his attention back to barking at the proctors scuffling with the Inuzuka woman. Her grunts and inarticulate shrieks halted momentarily as she caught sight of the assembled genin, before she struggled all the harder to get to them.

"Monster!" she screamed towards the remaining applicants. "Demon-child! I'll kill you, I'll tear you apart! YOU KILLED MY BABY!!"

"Oh, no. Not Tsume, not now," muttered Asuma, and rushed over to help the proctors with the distraught mother.

"Uzumaki no Bakemono! You'll die; I swear I'll see you dead!" she shrieked. "I'll rip your throat out!"

The entire assembly of genin and most of the instructors turned to look at Naruto, who stood stoically with a solemn expression. He could feel their eyes on him as the woman's grief echoed through the vast chamber. He took out the scroll that held Kubikiri Houcho and summoned the weapon, then handed it to Sasuke, befiore walking slowly towards the Inuzuka clan Matron. She thrashed even more wildly, even though she was being securely held by Asuma and the two battered, exhausted proctors.

"Let her up," Naruto said quietly. The woman glared death at the blond genin, baring sharp teeth that ached to spill blood, to rend flesh. His blood and his flesh.

Asuma snorted. "Not happening. She's not in her right mind." The woman writhed again, violently, and managed to drive a hard knee into the jonin-instructor's face. There was a muted cracking noise and Asuma began swearing sulfurously, but though he spat out blood and a broken tooth, he simply readjusted his grip, switched positions, and held on.

Akamaru kept barking, alternating his attention between the three holding Tsume down, and the assembly of ninja still grouped together near the gargantuan stone Ram-seal statue. Naruto he seemed to disregard.

"Asuma-sensei," Naruto said coldly. "Let her up now or I swear I'll tear open the seal holding back the Kyuubi and release him, right here, and right now." The four on the ground stopped their struggles in open shock. "LET HER UP!" Naruto shouted.

As the proctors and Asuma released their grip and backed away from Tsume, she slowly got to her feet. Naruto made no move; simply watched her, as she reached for her kunai pouch. She pulled out a kunai, and Naruto lifted his chin, baring his throat. "After I've had my say, you may do as you like," Naruto said. He made no move as she laid the killing edge against his throat.

"Speak," she demanded in a gravelly, hate filled whisper.

"How much?" asked Naruto.

"How much what?" she snapped back. Her patience was wearing thin. She wanted this kitsune gaki dead.

"How much blood will satisfy you? A pint, a quart, a gallon… How much? I couldn't save him, I was wounded as bad as he was, although I heal faster; but perhaps because I lived and he did not, I owe you. Maybe I even owe you my life. How much?" Naruto paused as Tsume gritted her teeth against the tears that were blotting out his face. He yelled louder, "How much do you think the world owes you for him? Does it owe you the lives of all the other genin in this building, the lives of everything and everyone in Konoha — in all of Fire country, if the Kyuubi breaks free when I die? HOW _MUCH_?!"

The echoes of his last shout died away in the room as the assembly of genin and instructors from outside Konoha started at the revelation. Kakashi groaned and pulled the headdress of the Hokage down over his eyes. _Can this get any worse?_

--

Akamaru fell silent and watched Alpha-Mother and Fox-Scent-Boy stare at each other when Fox-Scent-Boy stopped barking. Finally Alpha-Mother dropped the metal-tooth-kunai from her paw and attached both of her paws to Fox-Scent-Boy's throat and began slamming him into the wall, howling at him and squeezing. After lifting Fox-Scent-Boy up off the ground for several seconds Alpha-Mother let go of him and dropped him and fell to the floor herself. Akamaru whimpered a little and inched his way forward, sniffing Alpha-Mother for blood or pain smells. She smelled of Sad; he whimpered again and licked her face, tasting wet salty.

Akamaru understood why she smelled of Sad; she missed her pup, Alpha-Brother-Kiba. He did too; but even more right now he wished Alpha-Mother woofed the same as Alpha-Brother-Kiba. She couldn't understand his woofs at all and he could only somewhat understand the gist of hers.

Akamaru was a good boy, a smart boy; Alpha-Brother-Kiba always said so. He began barking again louder, trying to draw her attention to the Snake-Smell-Old-Young human on the steps with the other Human-Adult-People next to the big-rock-human-paws.

He barked for all he was worth, his anger unable to overpower his fear of Snake-Smell-Old-Young human. But if Alpha-Mother could just understand that it wasn't Fox-Scent-Boy she should be angered at, maybe it could all be better again.

--

The assembly of genin watched in shock as Naruto forced the proctors who were restraining Inuzuka Tsume to release her. Though they couldn't hear his initial words, his shout of "LET HER UP!" had been clearly audible even outside the tower. The fact that he would dare to yell so at two proctors and a jonin was eclipsed by the fact that they, seemingly cowed, had complied with his demand. Some few thought to wonder why neither the other Konoha jonin nor the Hokage were stopping the incident, but a glance in their direction showed them to be as shocked by the strange interruption as everyone else.

After Naruto spoke to her in sharp, unflinching tones while she held a knife to his throat, there were a few heart stopping moments where Team Akachi thought she was going to kill him right there, before she dropped her kunai and began choking him, bodily slamming him against the wall several times. Finally, as her rage and grief wound down, she released him, collapsing to the floor and sobbing. Akamaru inched his way up to her and began licking her face, before renewing his verbal assault towards the assembly of ninja still in the room. Naruto seemed to be completely unimportant to Akamaru's eyes. After a few moments, Tsume sat up, and pulled Akamaru to her chest, before burying her face in the small dog's fur. Akamaru stopped barking agian, and began licking her as she sat and quietly cried.

Naruto stood over her for a few seconds, before he turned back and walked to the assembled genin. Gaara stared at him in disbelief and incomprehension, and grabbed Naruto's arm as he passed, causing the blond to freeze. The jinchuuriki of Team Akachi looked slowly down at the hand on his sleeve, then directly into Gaara's eyes.

"Why?" demanded Gaara angrily. "Why did you risk yourself like that?"

Naruto snatched back his arm, jerking the Suna nin's posture momentarily. "Because she lost her precious person, her son. And because it was I who failed to protect him," Naruto replied. With no further words he casually continued back to Team Akachi, taking back his massive sword as he reached them, before sealing the weapon up in its scroll and putting it back inside his black and red coat.

Gaara simply stared after the blond in mute incomprehension. _Mother... what... I don't understand..._

**KILL HIM.** Mother replied from the depths of Gaara's mind. **KILL HIM- I WANT TO TASTE HIS BLOOD. HE CAUSES US PAIN, CONFUSION, FEAR- KILL HIM, AND ONLY THEN WILL WE KNOW PEACE. **

--

Beyond them, the Sand jonin's eyes narrowed slightly in concern. _Those words are beyond the scope of Gaara's understanding. What will he do? Will he jeopardize the plan?_

--

Kakashi watched as the proctors escorted Tsume, still carrying Akamaru, away from the arena. The mood of the group was tense, almost fearful. Especially several of the Konoha nin… admittedly, himself included. Kakashi wasn't entirely certain of what happened since Naruto had disappeared in the Forest of Death, but on his return he'd seemed more relaxed, but relaxed in the sense of a deadly predator between kills. The last vestiges of the happy-go-lucky child, the genin who'd juggled himself and done his best to cheer those around him, were gone. Kakashi was not afraid of Naruto snapping any longer. No, the next people he killed would be killed with full intent and no remorse.

It was enough to make a jonin-instructor long for a kid with simple combat fatigue.

Kakashi could do nothing about this now, he knew. Clearing his throat, he said, "I believe it would be best, Yamato-san, that I should take over from here." The group said nothing, attendant to his words. Kakashi went on, "This has been an... unexpected occurrence. But as shinobi, we are expected to continue on through the unexpected to complete that which we have begun. A lesson I am certain that is not lost on any of you, for none of you would be here did you not already understand this in your hearts."

He continued, "I, too, congratulate all of you standing here. You who stand on these stones... you are a privileged few. In half an hour a few private observers... your families, your friends... these will be present in the balconies above us now. But none of these people today will be standing where you are now. That privilege... that right... that honor... all these belong to you. They belong to you because you have proven your knowledge. You have proven your ability to gather information. You have proven, each of you, your ability to perform a mission within its guidelines and survive against others fully as determined as you. You have proven your teamwork. But in the third exam, you will prove your prowess."

The room remained utterly silent. "The Chuunin Exams are meant to promote friendship and harmony between the shinobi nations. But what does this mean?" He paused, as they all stared at him, hypnotized. Unnerved by their lack of questions, Kakashi pressed on. "I will explain to you. This statement of purpose... this is, in actuality, an expression... of war."

The group of genin still said nothing, although his words had created a small stir in them, a slight restlessness as they shifted, waiting for his explanation. _Even that didn't draw a reaction from them?_ marveled Kakashi. Sighing, he said, "Long ago, before this joint exam, our nations went to war with one another... a war over power, over resources, over territory... a war which often squandered exactly that which the nations sought to maintain their hold over as they struck out at one another, both overtly and covertly. But in the creation of this Exam, the perfect battleground was formed, over which our nations may mutually compete for all of that mentioned before. Yet how do we determine if this war is won, or lost, or a stalemate is attained? By the creation of a blood-sport... an arena under which each of you may fight for the honor of your respective countries... even, should you deem it necessary, to fight for your honor and that of your nation unto death."

Kakashi was warming to the subject, and did not provide the genin with an opportunity to respond, even had he believed them so inclined to in the first place. "The third exam is spectacle; it is show. It is a blood-sport held under the watchful gaze of many of the most powerful individuals in all of our five nations. Daimyos, lords, the wealthy, powerful and ambitious, all these pay top dollar to watch you compete. As they watch, they note who are the strongest, the smartest, the best trained. And when they have returned to their homelands and need tasks performed of great import and risk, they remember this exam, and those who impressed them the most, and they will send their requests to the village from which those shinobi hailed. A nation with many skilled and powerful applicants will receive the bulk of their requests, while a nation whose up and coming shinobi are seen to be weak or ineffectual will begin to have mission requests to their nation dwindle. By this we maintain our strength... and the balance of power between our nations. For the truth of friendship, among shinobi, is the maintenance of peace in the midst of our ongoing war."

The tension and excitement was brimming, Kakashi could sense it. These young warriors were prepared to do as they deemed necessary. Fear, uncertainty, anticipation, competitiveness; all these and more lurked in their eyes and postures. Yet Kakashi felt the need to clarify one point more. "Understand this; you do not merely fight for our amusement or enrichment. The exam is an arena by which to weed out those unfit for advancement to chuunin. For they who are not capable or ready do not pass the rigors the exam provides. Those who succeed are truly the finest our nations have to offer. But the exam, like any tool in a shinobi arsenal, has more uses than what may be seen on the surface. Much, in fact, like each of you has trained for; to see the hidden meanings beneath the hidden meanings, to find the truths within the lies we wear, and seek the hidden core, the true essence within each of us that remains eternally our truth no matter how many layers of deceptions and deeds we are forced to apply over them. This is our destiny, our purpose, our lives... as shinobi. Good luck to you all." Kakashi turned to Gekko Hayate. "Hayate-san, you may begin."

Kakashi stepped back a pace, relinquishing his position as the focus of attention, and gave a slight, shuddery sigh. _I'm sorry, Sarutobi-sama. But I'm not you. I know you would have said all of this differently... but I can only hope they understood the importance of what you always tried to convey. _

--

A slender figure in a jonin vest shunshined out to the floor. As he stood from his crouch, they could see that his face was thin and drawn. His eyes bore dark bags under them, and his body shook with an occasional small cough. "Thank you, Hokage-sama." The man shuddered briefly, before saying, "Uhhh... before the third exam starts, I must ask all of you to do something for me."

A wave of muted motion crossed over the examinees as they took in the proctor's state of health. He seemed somehow unsteady on his feet, and the small coughs that interrupted his actions were sometimes punctuated by a loud, dry, wheezing hack.

Sasuke caught Naruto flickering the Kamigan. Naruto's head tilted slightly and his eyes widened before he murmured, "Cancer..."

Shikamaru had heard, as had Kabuto, who stood next to them with his own squad. Sasuke glanced around with his eyes. Nobody else seemed to have caught the whisper.

Hayate continued, "Ummm... You see, there are some preliminaries to the exam proper, and whether you proceed to the tournament finals is contingent on how well you manage those."

"Why don't they call this the third exam and what you're telling us that we're trying to advance to the fourth exam?" asked a Takigakure nin in a vest and rolled up shorts. Rather than the usual sandals most shinobi wore, this one wore split-toed tabi. His hair was cropped short, and he had thick sideburns that almost touched the bottom of his jaw.

"Well, I don't want to say that the first two exams weren't demanding enough, but... (Cough) the truth is, we still have too many applicants," Hayate answered. "Under traditional rules of the exam, we now have a set of preliminaries to reduce the number of genin who will advance to the Third exam. As the Sandaime Hokage mentioned, a number of honored guests will be observing you during the third exam... so we must make the exam tight, intense, and fast moving."

Hayate coughed his dry cough a couple more times, before he said, "Hmmm... So anyway... Now that you know something of what it's all really about... Anyone who doesn't feel up to the challenge either physically or mentally can walk away. Just take one step forward... because the preliminaries start now."

--

Naruto looked around the crowd calmly, trying to sense the other's moods, to gauge who was weakest, who was ready to falter. Strangely enough, it was Kabuto who seemed most on edge, but after a long look at a jonin whom Naruto could only assume was his jonin-instructor, Kabuto straightened up and waited with the rest of them.

After a second, Hayate seemed nonplused that no one had yet given up the test. "Ummm... (cough) in case I forgot to mention it, from here on you fight as individuals... not as members of a team. So you can make the decision that's right for you without worrying about affecting anyone else. (Cough, cough) So... does anyone want out?"

Naruto felt a stabbing pain in his shoulder. He winced, then looked around the room. As he did so, he noticed Kabuto's instructor watching him intently with an unreadable expression on his face. Naruto would have sworn the jonin flared his eyes as the pain came again: that chakra-parasite... Naruto scowled, looking back at Hayate.

Hayate sighed, before he finally said, "Uhhh... looks like nobody is bailing out."

Naruto felt a third pulse from the mark, and reflexively clutched at his shoulder.

--

Ibiki leaned in towards Kakashi. "Looks as though Orochimaru got him alright, Hokage-sama. Probably the reason for his altered behavior. Do we call in ANBU?"

Kakashi thought back to the confrontation with Tsume. Naruto had shown no aggression — indeed, he'd shown a remarkable passivity in the face of her pain and anger — and he'd made no move to fight, no move to rampage and kill. "No... No, we do not. But I will need a moment of Gai-sensei's time. Could you call him into Room 160 for me?" replied Kakashi, turning and walking out the archway. "Tell him I'm also calling in Kakashi; that always seems to get his attention for some reason." Kakashi chuckled with a wry grin on his face. It was exactly the sort of thing the Hokage would say to rile the spandex-clad jonin.

--

Ibiki gave a chuckle of his own. The Sandaime, whatever his strange mood before, seemed to be back to his old self. He felt a twinge of sadistic glee as he thought of the face Gai would make when he passed on Hokage-sama's words.

A few seconds later, when he did, he wasn't disappointed.

--

"Very well then," Hayate said finally. "We'll now begin the preliminaries... which will consist of one-on-one matches, as though this were part of the tournament that comprises the Third exam. As there are nineteen competitors, there will be nine matches and one automatic advance, each match and the bye being determined randomly. The winners of the nine matches, like the pass, will advance to the third exam finals."

Hayate straightened up despite the cough that followed. "This is no-holds barred combat. Each pair of combatants will fight until one of them is dead, unconscious, or admits defeat. If you value your life, and you feel you are being overpowered, it is advisable that you concede immediately." He paused. "Uhhh... since we don't want a total bloodbath on our hands..." _Like the second exam,_ he didn't say out loud, "There may be cases where we ascertain that there is an undisputed winner and stop the fight. But don't count on it." He gave a short nod to Yamato, who began speaking into an earpiece. "From this point out, your fate is controlled..." Up on the wall, above a stone arm leading to the carved Ram Seal, a panel opened up, revealing an electronic digital display. "...By the results on this display. At the start of every (cough) round, we will display the names of the two combatants in that match. The first name selected will be the genin passing on to the third exam automatically." Hayate turned back to face them all. "Ummm... so, not to hurry the slaughter, but... Let's begin. We will determine the contestant to receive the bye into the third exam..."

The genin all looked up at the board, an expectant hush falling over them.

Then, the name of the lucky contender appeared on the screen.

Nara Shikamaru.

--

"Lucky you, man," congratulated Chouji, coming over and patting his friend on the back. "Looks like you won't be troubled with this one, eh man?"

Shikamaru smiled, relief on his face. "I'm just glad I wasn't up against you, Chouji. I don't know if I could stop you."

Chouji smiled. "You'd figure out a way. Doesn't matter how tough your opponent is, I've never seen anyone who could stand up to your brain." Chouji grinned at him. "Look at it this way… at least you don't have to fight that Gaara guy." Chouji's face turned uncharacteristically nervous. "Or worse yet, Naruto."

Shikamaru smiled up at the ceiling, before he turned to look at Chouji. "Chouji, man, have you ever known me to lie to you?"

Chouji looked puzzled. "Huh? Of course not. You've always been there for me, always been a straight shooter."

"Then listen to me, here, cause I'm not gonna lie to you now." Shikamaru grabbed Chouji's shoulders and looked him in the eyes. "If there's anybody here in the preliminary who can take on Naruto and win… it's you." Shikamaru locked Chouji's gaze. "You're the only person here strong enough to go toe to toe with him and win." Shikamaru let go of his friend's shoulders, before turning and heading up to the gallery to watch the matches.

Chouji just stood there, staring after his best friend. "Shikamaru..."

--

Shikamaru sat down and sighed. Was he going to lose friends down there today? Would he be losing Naruto? Sasuke... Chouji?

He felt someone sit down on the bench beside him. Startled, he looked up to see… _Hinata and Shino?_ "What are you guys doing here?"

Hinata blushed, biting her lip, before looking down into the arena. Shino answered for them. "Naruto fought for us. He gave his all; he was injured in ways that _should_ have killed him. He lost an eye; no matter that it grew back. He was willing to fight to the death to protect us. And he has no family, so... we petitioned the Hokage to come to support him in lieu of his family."

Shikamaru nodded. It made sense. Maybe Naruto would appreciate it. It was about time _someone_ showed they appreciated him.

--

Temari looked at her battle fan, allowing a single finger to trace the etchings in the fine steel. In a few minutes, maybe even so long as an hour, she was going to fight someone here. She would work her hardest to win, because the plan called for all three of them to be present in the finals. She would, in a month's time, likely be fighting and killing those who stood here, people who were precious to these people... people who were precious to Uzumaki Naruto.

She was a shinobi. To fight, to kill, to perform the mission took priority above all other concerns; this was her way of life. So why was she so uncertain, so hesitant to take this weapon to the flesh of Naruto's fellow shinobi? Why did it feel so… _wrong_?

And why did she start leaking at the eyes every time she thought about him?

--

Hayate nodded. "The first match is about to be announced."

Again, they all looked up to the board. After a moment, two names appeared.

Uchiha Sasuke. Chihoda Tora.

Sasuke looked over at the Takigakure nin with a degree of curiosity as he grinned and nodded to his teammates, who all headed up to the gallery along with the other genin and the assorted proctors, jonin-instructors, and so forth who had been down on the ground level. Sasuke looked his opponent in the eyes; he saw no fear.

"So you're the infamous Uchiha Sasuke?" Tora sneered. "Hmph. I was expecting something a bit... less scrawny, I guess. Oh well. I suppose I'll limit myself to taijutsu with you... just to keep things fair." Tora slipped on a pair of neko-te over his gloves, then hopped lightly from foot to foot. "Try to stay alive, will you?"

Sasuke snorted. From what he could tell, this guy wasn't much stronger than himself, and certainly not as strong as his zanbato-wielding teammate, Naruto. "Whatever, loser. I'll see your taijutsu… and raise you a headstone. What did you want on it?"

"Doesn't really matter to me; it'll be going over your body," Tora replied.

Hayate gave an annoyed look at the posturing between the two genin. "I assume neither of you have any objections?"

"No." "Nah."

"Very well then. (cough) Let the first match... Begin!"

**End chapter Sixteen**

--

-AN: Well, that is, as they say, that.

I found myself much more satisfied with this chapter at the point where I typed "End Chapter..." but I imagine that, much like any situation where you think everything is going alright, this only means I don't know what the hell is going on.

The story is entitled Rogue Fox, for those of you confused about the title. There are reasons for this, the first of which being that a 'rogue' is largely uncontrollable despite the wishes of those presuming themselves to be in charge. I think this is by and large an almost textbook description of the Naruto I've thus far portrayed. Not to mention that the story begins with him returning from when he went rogue the first time. As to Kyuubi... Well, his lines are few and far between; but I like to think that when they happen, they are fairly pivotal in portraying the situation and where it is headed. Nonetheless, if you have suggestions how I can improve it, hey, I'm always willing to look it over. I know this is not, by far, a perfect story and I welcome any input to help me to improve it.

Not much else to say, except add in the little omake that popped into my head while writing this out. Oh, and I'll be posting on a website some pics I've drawn, most notably Naruto in his Akachi garb holding Kubikiri Houcho, and a picture of my guild mate from WoW (Name of Falrock) driving a short bus with his Echeyakee pet running along the side. I don't expect any of you to know what this means; but if Falrock actually _is_ reading my story, he'll be calling me up on my phone and cursing at me in the morning.

_Omake for Chapter Sixteen:_

The genin watched in amazement as Akamaru began redoubling his efforts of barking towards the group of ninja still in the room. It became increasingly apparent that Akamaru wasn't at all bothered by Naruto's presence.

Asuma murmured, "Akamaru's trying to tell us something."

Tsume looked at the pup with teary, anguished eyes. "What is it? What is it, boy?"

"Is it Konohamaru? Konohamaru's fallen down a well?" one of the proctors asked.

Akamaru stared at the human ninja in disbelief, before covering his face with his paws. _Stupid Humans…_

_End omake_

Ja Mata.

-AXENOME


	19. Chapter Seventeen: Sharp

Chapter Seventeen: Sharp

"Begin!"

Sasuke and Chihoda darted forward, Chihoda with his nekote, and Sasuke with a pair of kunai. As Sasuke thrust with one kunai in an attempt to create an opening for the second, Chihoda gave a half hop, tucking his feet up under him and tumbling, giving Sasuke a swift rake across the back. Sasuke's quick slump flat prevented the attack from being more than scratches, and he log-rolled himself to the side to avoid the double foot stomp Chihoda attempted on landing. Sasuke curled his legs up and somersaulted backwards, avoiding several more savage kicks, before turning his backroll into a ground-to-standing backflip. Chihoda pressed his advantage, and Sasuke deflected several swipes at his face at distances entirely too close for comfort.

The parries left his midsection open; only a hastily raised leg deflected a kick bearing nekote gripped by the toes of his adversary's tabi. As it was, the raking talons still opened a trio of parallel cuts from the front of his knee along the outside of his right thigh almost to his hip. Sasuke slid his knee up beneath the kicking leg before it could withdraw, driving the leg upwards as his right elbow came down. There was a solid bone to bone contact across Chihoda's shin, and a nasty bruise began forming almost immediately as Sasuke tried to follow up with a stabbed kunai at the Taki-nin's thigh. Chihoda twisted, freeing his leg from Sasuke's hasty pin, tumbling aside and avoiding the blade; and the two genin skipped backwards, carefully eyeing one another again.

Sasuke cautiously assessed the two hits Chihoda had landed on him. Neither attack has gone very deep at all. They stung a little, but weren't too serious. Suddenly, he felt something running down the back of his neck. Somewhere in the exchange, the claws must have hit his scalp. Still, the little cut on the back of his head wasn't a big issue; scalp wounds, though usually very bloody, were rarely life threatening, barring infection. Since it wasn't on his forehead or anywhere it could drip into his eyes, it wouldn't really matter until this fight was over.

Chihoda allowed Sasuke the time to assess his injuries, while placing a hand over his own shin. There were a few seconds of greenish glow around his hands, and Sasuke watched with incredulity as the Takigakure nin healed the bruise, breaking out in a light sheen of sweat as he did. The healing apparently took some effort, but he wasn't breathing very hard.

"Medic nin," Sasuke said evenly. "In training?"

Chihoda shrugged. "Something like that. Sure you don't wanna give up now?"

"Over these?" Sasuke snorted. "If you really have to ask over something little like this, maybe you're the one who should be giving up."

Something hardened in Chihoda's eyes as he glared back. "Whatever. It's your funeral."

The two dashed forward again.

--

"Why is Sasuke only using taijutsu?" asked Haku.

"He's just posturing," Naruto answered. "This Chihoda is obviously a taijutsu specialist; Sasuke wants to humiliate him by beating him at his own game. Totally pointless. He should know better than this."

"He's not doing a very good job at it," commented Kabuto from beside them. "He's barely holding his own."

"Naruto," Shikamaru said, narrowing his eyes. "Something's wrong."

--

Sasuke scowled at the Taki-nin as they skipped further back from each other again. He was getting tired quickly. At first, he thought the claws had been poisoned, but he felt no burning, no sleepiness, none of the telltale signs that would indicate his liver or heart or other vital organ functions were being compromised. But he was having trouble maintaining his top form, and he _knew_ he was in better shape than this. And he was starting to have a little trouble catching his breath.

The flow of blood from his scalp was still trickling. And that was what cued him in; it should have stopped by now, or at the very least, thickened up enough to slow the flow of blood. He'd so far prevented Chihoda from hitting him again, but the blocks and dodges were getting slower. He was having more trouble landing any hits. In fact, he was having trouble even attempting to capitalize on what few opening his opponent was leaving.

His leg was still bleeding also, and the blood was soaking into his right sock, while the back of his shirt was becoming a deeper red than it had started. His eyes flicked across the arena floor, as he saw drops of blood — his blood — everywhere they'd sparred across. All of it was still wet.

His eyes darted back to Chihoda's hands, and the nekote they wore.

"Give up yet?" His opponent asked, bouncing on the balls of his feet, nekote shining across his toes.

"Fuck this," Sasuke said, channeling chakra to his eyes and activating the Sharingan.

"Gonna cheat now on your taijutsu?" taunted Chihoda, laughing, while reaching into his tool pouch. "It doesn't matter; it's too late for you to win now. Do whatever you like."

Sasuke understood immediately. On Chihoda's claws was something that kept his blood from clotting. And now, he was intending to use smoke bombs, trying to draw out the fight. Chihoda's strategy was attrition. The longer the fight went on like this, the more likely that Sasuke would lose. In fact, against most genin, the fight would already be over. All Chihoda had to do now was simply wait it out.

Sasuke was fast, but with the effects of several minutes of both fighting and bleeding, Chihoda was simply faster. Before he could get to his opponent, the Takigakure nin had been completely concealed by the emerging cloud of smoke, as had the majority of the ring. Sasuke's ears told the tale of another smoke bomb going off, and he remembered a bridge back in Nami no Kuni.

Sasuke's hand went to his own pouch. _Nasty little tactic… and pretty effective, too. Doesn't feel like poison, and it's subtle enough to not be noticed 'til it's too late,_ he thought to himself, as his fingers closed on the little metal box. He pulled it out and squeezed the dimples on either side, letting the tiny, chakra laden pill fall into his mouth. He bit into it and swallowed. _Good thing I can afford emergency supplies._

--

Modern shinobi science has given birth to a number of powerful and innovative tools. Exploding tags, wide-spectrum antidotes, soldier pills, and many others graced the kits and arsenals of shinobi due to the sciences of chakra. In fact, the only real trouble with most of them is their cost. A soldier pill costs a third of the pay for the average C-rank mission, a blood pill costs half again as much. Unless one's family could make their own, like the Akimichi or the Inuzuka, such aids were tools of desperation.

For a Taki genin, considering how poor Takigakure was, one could not expect to find a blood pill in the kit of anyone lower than jonin status. For the sole remaining heir of all the Uchiha holdings and wealth in Konahagakure, such things were somewhat pricey, but still a viable option, and something not to be left behind. Just in case.

Chihoda found himself up against someone who could fight as effectively with impaired sight, and he'd inadvertently given Sasuke enough time for the blood pill to take effect. Before the cloud from the second bomb had dispersed, he found himself on the defensive against an Uchiha with an arsenal of fire jutsu and ears good enough to direct them. As the smoke cleared, several shuriken flew outwards, each coming closer and closer as the Sharingan predicted each successive dodge, giving him less and less time to react as he recovered from wilder and wilder maneuvers he'd been forced into. Finally, two kunai were bearing down on him as he hung in midair. A truly amazing midair twist caused one kunai to clip his hair just above his ear, while the second one was prevented from driving into his eye by a head jerk to the side that left the kunai to draw a bloody trail across his cheek and ear.

Chihoda landed hard on his back as Sasuke pulled out another fistful of shuriken, Sharingan spinning, as he prepared his next assault. What held him up short was the sudden fear in the eyes of the Taki-nin as his hand clapped to his face where the kunai had cut him. It was just a scratch, but...

--

"Of course," Shikamaru said suddenly. "No wonder he could think up a strategy like that."

"What do you mean, Shikamaru?" asked Ino.

"Think about it, Ino," he replied. "Obviously he's got a reason for fear. As soon as he gets some space to do so, I'm betting that he's going to bandage that… or heal it, if he has the time. And he'll do anything he can to— There." Shikamaru pointed to the billowing cloud arising from the latest smoke bomb. "By the time that clears up, he'll have already dealt with that little cut."

"What?" said Hinata in surprise. "B-but... why would he be so worried about it?"

Haku's eyes lit with the realization. "Because that cut could kill him. He's a hemophiliac!"

"Exactly," agreed Shikamaru. "Which is why he dodges so well. And why he doses his weapons with a long acting anticoagulant. It's the simplest and easiest way he could level the playing field."

--

Sasuke caught sight of his opponent as the smoke cleared. He'd bandaged his own leg already, and Sasuke could see that Chihoda had healed the scratch on his face and ear.

"So, that's it, then," Sasuke stated. "You're a bleeder."

The Taki-nin snarled at him. "What would you know about it?" he demanded.

"Enough to know that you shouldn't have even made it out of the Academy," Sasuke answered. "You can't be a ninja if you can't afford to bleed."

'SHUT UP!" Chihoda shouted. "I'll prove to you — to EVERYONE — that I can still be a ninja!"

--

Above, in the stands, Lee and Gai exchanged a long, meaningful look.

--

Chihoda acted with desperation, now; no more smoke bombs, no more stalling. His assault was a frenzy of motion that not even the Sharingan could entirely evade. He was clearly a master of taijutsu, and though Sasuke couldn't land a clean hit on him, each of them accumulated scrapes, bruises, and nicks. But only one of them was under the effects of a blood pill, and it was starting to show.

The arena was spattered with small drops of blood from each of them, smears of it making their footing treacherous and difficult. Within a couple of minutes it had become apparent that Chihoda was losing, but he refused to give up, thought he was panting, his movements were slowing, and he'd lost the crisp snap of readiness. And Sasuke...

Sasuke kept seeing in Chihoda's desperation a familiar spark, a spark of something that Naruto had lost from his academy days: the faith… in himself and in the underlying goodness of the world; the absolute certainty that if he worked hard enough, kept fighting, he'd eventually reach his dreams. He never realized how much he missed that spark, that innocence, that belief that anything was possible. And though Sasuke could have ended it by now, could have crushed him... somehow he couldn't bear to crush the Taki-nin's dreams. He realized with a start that the flames of his own anger had long since gone out. He still felt the sadness from his family's massacre, but his need for revenge to ease his own pain was gone, and all the feeling he had left for his brother was a sense of deep regret.

In the end, Sasuke simply stood, watching, as Chihoda wavered, dripping blood from a half dozen tiny cuts, struggling to maintain his blurring focus on the Uchiha heir. Sasuke was ready to defend, of course, ready to fight back if the Taki-nin made any aggressive moves. But it seemed that the limits of flesh had finally surpassed the iron will which stood behind it, screaming to continue the fight, as the genin's rubbery legs collapsed under him. Chihoda fell to the floor, his legs bent under him. His arms fluttered lightly as did his eyelids, and he passed out.

As Hayate announced the win and called in the medics waiting on the sidelines, Sasuke stood staring at the sight of the medics tending to the Taki genin with a mixed feeling of... dirtiness. He felt no pride in the defeat of this opponent. The medics started manhandling him, trying to get him to lay down on a stretcher as well, and he resisted them out of irritation, until they pointed out that he was still under the effect of multiple doses of a powerful anticoagulant, and that it would be in his best interests to come with them to the hospital to get the substance flushed from his system before the effects of the blood pill wore off.

Sighing, Sasuke accepted their ministrations, as they bandaged his wounds for transport, before carting him off to the hospital.

Unnoticed by anyone, the jonin for Team Isha got up and left as well.

--

After a short break while the spatters and smears of blood were cleaned up, Hayate coughed into his hand and nodded toward the board. The next match had been chosen.

Tsurugi Misuma. Tenten.

--

The fight between Tenten and Tsurugi was short and exceedingly vicious. Tenten opened the fight by opening up several bloody wounds on the genin from Team Isha with a volley of shuriken and kunai, but the Isha-nin had evaded the worst of it and dislocated all his joints, wrapping himself around the kunoichi and attempting to squeeze the life out of her unless she surrendered. Tenten kicked open a scroll she had dropped, summoning a pile of weapons — an accident, many had thought, until she used the pile to execute a Kawarimi — and Tsurugi found himself constricting a more or less random assortment of very sharp bladed weapons.

You had to hand it to the medic-nins; they actually got there in time to keep him alive. Not that Tenten was unscathed; the grapple had dislocated her right hip and shoulder, sprained her left knee, and cracked three of her ribs, but it was a testimony to her toughness and powers of concentration that she had managed to pull off the jutsu in the middle of the constriction, not being disrupted even when her ribs began cracking. But while she had been hurting and not at full capacity, Tsurugi had been much worse off. The profusion of blood had required another short break to clean up. Her team applauded her 'youthfulness', and in a break from her usual habits of irritation she gave them the thumbs-up and nice guy smile. …Left-handed, of course.

--

Naruto took the time to look around at the other genin while the cleanup was going on. He'd noticed that the sharp, stabbing pains of the chakra parasite had mostly receded. He made an attempt at channeling chakra and found that it wasn't that bad… as long as he didn't channel too much at once. He could probably handle a few jutsu before the pain really started to hamper him; he'd just need to be conservative with his chakra output.

Hayate nodded at the board again, stifling a cough. The third match had been chosen.

Uzumaki Naruto. Akimichi Choji.

Naruto looked over at his opponent. He didn't know a lot about Choji; he just remembered the husky genin having been a heavy eater back at the Academy, and being Shikamaru's best friend. Looking at him, it was fairly plain to see that he still ate a lot; but Choji was big in more than just a fatty sense. There was a sturdiness to his features that bespoke muscle hiding beneath the surface. As Choji noticed Naruto's gaze, he lost a little color, gulping visibly. Naruto maintained his flat look, neither attempting to intimidate nor reassure. Choji started shaking lightly, and beads of sweat popped up on his forehead.

"Choji!" called Shikamaru. "Remember what I told you!"

Then every Konoha genin present — save for Ino and Choji — adopted a stunned look as Sakura walked up to Choji and hugged him, before standing on her tiptoes and kissing the husky Akimichi on the nose. "I believe in you," she whispered to him. "Remember what you've learned."

Choji swallowed hard before he nodded, hugging her back. Then he gently disengaged her arms from around him and walked toward the staircase, still pale, but determination in his eyes and his step.

Naruto raised a confused finger in the air, mouth slightly open. _Uh... but what about Sasuke? Wasn't she just hanging off him, along with Ino, at the beginning of the first exam?_

**ACTUALLY, YOU SHOULD HAVE LISTENED A LITTLE CLOSER WHILE THEY WERE CONVERSING. SAKURA WAS ATTEMPTING TO GIVE INO A HAND IN GETTING SASUKE TO SPEAK TO HER. **

_Wait, what? How do you know that?_

**FOOLISH GAKI. I HEAR EVERYTHING YOU DO, EVEN IF YOU AREN'T PAYING ENOUGH ATTENTION TO ****LISTEN TO**** IT.**

Meanwhile, Sakura blushed, noticing everyone looking at her. In a small voice, she said, "Well, he's really fun to be around, and he's the sweetest guy I've ever met."

Shikamaru thought about this for a moment, before nodding. "Yeah, he's a great guy. Glad someone finally noticed."

Naruto shook off his amazement before he started towards the stairs himself.

Hesitantly, Sakura called after him. "Naruto?"

Naruto paused, turned to face her. "Yeah?"

"You always... used to say that you liked me," she said.

Naruto looked at her for a long moment before he finally nodded.

"If you really meant it... then, please. _Please_ don... don't hurt him," she begged, almost in tears.

Naruto gazed back at Sakura, feeling... slightly sad. She was obviously afraid of him. _Is this what it meant to be strong? Having everyone fear you? Everyone certain that you might hurt or kill them, even if you never did anything to them to warrant it? _He found he didn't like this very much... but then, fear or hate was pretty much all he recalled ever receiving from the people he was supposed to be protecting, even before he'd gotten strong. At least this way, he was safer, and so were they, regardless of whether or not they much appreciated it.

Finally, after a long moment where Sakura tried to hold his gaze, but failed, he said, "Sakura. I don't _ever_ hurt people from Konoha if I have a choice. I only hurt those who attack me. …And traitors," he added almost as an afterthought. He flickered his Kamigan as he said this, and noticed the sick look on Kabuto's face with a bit of satisfaction.

Naruto thought about the obvious affection between Sakura and Choji and felt a painful stab of jealousy. Surprising, that; he'd thought he was over her. _I suppose you never really get all the way over someone like that_, he thought to himself.

**I WOULDN'T KNOW. HUMANS ARE COMPLICATED CREATURES.**

Naruto sighed as he walked down the stairs. _Bii-san... sometimes I envy you._

--

Choji and Naruto stared at each other for a moment, before Naruto said, "Shikamaru talks about you."

Choji blinked in surprise. "W-what?"

"He says you're tough," commented Naruto. "In fact, while we were in the Forest of Death, he said you were as strong as me. So show me." Naruto smiled.

"B-but... yo-you're a demon..." said Choji nervously. Naruto grimaced. Choji looked a bit embarrassed. "S-sorry... I didn't mean to-"

"I'm _not_ a demon," Naruto said. "Not any more than a bowl is the soup that's inside it. And it's not really a demon. The ones who made it called it an ATMA. Just a weapon from a long time ago." Naruto felt Hayate's gaze on him from the side, and continued with a faint smile. "I'm not gonna turn it loose on anyone in Konoha. That's not who I am, and it's not what I do. I reserve that for those who threaten Konohagakure and its citizens..." Naruto turned his head and looked Hayate in the eye. "…And if you look at my record I have never killed anyone I wasn't told to, unless it was defending me or someone else. Does that reassure you, Gekko-san?"

Hayate shrugged and coughed lightly, before saying, "Just so long as you can control all aspects of yourself." He coughed again, and the wheeze was like a tired rattle in his chest.

"Why haven't they removed it?" asked Naruto curiously. "It's only in one spot, and it's not even that big, just in a clumsy location for breathing." Hayate froze, and his sunken eyes widened. "Talk to you after the match, Gekko-san. Shouldn't you be starting our match?"

Hayate was suffering from stripped gears, the mental equivalent of throwing an engine from fourth gear into reverse, then back into third again, while gunning the engine and somehow, miraculously, not stalling it or throwing a rod. It took him a moment to get back to where he was supposed to be, and in an uncertain voice he said, "Begin!"

--

"Choji," Naruto said, as Hayate backed away expectantly, "Why do you look at me like you're scared of me?"

Choji steeled himself before favoring Naruto with a grin, albeit a somewhat shaky, nervous grin, but a real grin nonetheless. "I-I'm not scared r-really... just kinda… nervous." He nodded, forming a couple of hand-seals. "I know I c-can't beat you. But that doesn't mean I-I'm gonna make it easy for you!"

Naruto grinned. "You know I don't kill or maim anyone from Konoha if I can help it, right?"

Choji nodded, settling down a bit.

"Then come on. Let's do it!" yelled Naruto, his eyes flickering to black.

--

To the onlookers in the balcony, it looked like Naruto was immediately on the offense, and Choji was hard pressed to defend... but still his defense was strong in taijutsu. Choji was able to expand portions of his body rapidly, and even with the Kamigan telling him where Choji would move to next, it was hard for Naruto to get a fist past a blocking hand that was five feet wide. Then out of nowhere, Choji landed a hit.

--

Naruto was having a blast! Choji had a solid defense. Naruto was slowly picking up the tempo, faster and harder, trying to break through, when the expected hand wasn't there to block, and Naruto was off balance. It was only slightly, and only for a split second; but Naruto saw a fist loom in his vision too quickly to dodge, and threw up an arm to block.

The punch didn't land when he expected it to, and Naruto froze momentarily, until he saw the fist swelling outside the boundaries of his blocking arm. Had he immediately dodged he could have gotten out of the way, but the expansion of the fist created an optical illusion that made the punch look like it was coming faster than it was. Not that the punch was slow — far from it — but the miscalculation made Naruto hold still for the fraction of a second that it took for the fist to launch from hip level to full extension, while simultaneously expanding to roughly the size of a full grown cow.

Naruto felt like he'd been hit by a truck. No block could absorb the force behind _that_ kind of a blow, and Naruto's elbow drove into his own ribs, his fist into his breastbone, and his body flew upwards in a long arc as blood sprayed from Naruto's mouth. His teeth had slammed shut on the inside of his cheek and the side of his tongue.

Choji knew quite clearly that this was his moment. He quickly judged where Naruto would land and expanded his entire body, before giving a small hop forward to begin his meat tank rotation. If he timed this right, he'd smash into Naruto just as he was about to land… and maybe even get the K.O.

--

_RINNNNGGG-buzzzzzz-RINNNGG_

**KID! SNAP OUT OF IT!**

_Bzzzzzz-OWWWWW Shit!_

**KID! DO SOMETHING!**

Naruto shook his head. The force of the blow had been like nothing he'd ever felt, not even the flashback effect of experiencing his clone impaled on the arm of the Kusanin back on the first day of the exam. It was weird, though. Remembering that ghost pain carried no emotional content, no attachment to anything meaningful. Strange to not associate a memory of pain with anything...

**KID, WE DON'T HAVE MUCH TIME. PULL IT TOGETHER!**

Naruto realized that his arc of flight had crested, and he was heading earthbound. And with no leverage, he'd end up falling right into Choji's attack as he barreled forward with all the subtlety and gentleness of an avalanche. Naruto assessed the parasite mark and found that it wasn't hurting at all for the moment; he'd be able to pull off at least a few moderate- to high-level jutsu now. Or was it just not hurting compared to the pain in his tongue, ribs and chest? Well, whatever.

Naruto formed himself up and made a kage bunshin, who swung him downwards, increasing his speed and turning his tumble into a straight line attack, calculated to plant both feet with maximum force at the end of his drop into Choji's rolling mass.

It was at this point that Naruto got an unpleasant lesson in applied physics.

--

Friction is the resistance to slippage between two surfaces when applied to one another. Friction decreases when the two surfaces are buffered by a low viscosity fluid, when the two surfaces are very or relatively smooth, or when pressure between them is low. Conversely, a dry, uneven surface, when applied to another dry, uneven surface, at very high pressures, with no materials or buffering agents between them, creates a zone of high friction, however briefly. In this case, Naruto's feet may as well have been glued to Choji's body as the force of Choji's rotation transferred in part to Naruto's dive, and sent the blond genin tumbling forward completely out of control, landing painfully on his back. The wind knocked out of him, Naruto couldn't dodge as Choji's massive form ran him over like a frog on a highway. Naruto did the only thing he could think of. He kawarimi'd with his clone that was still falling overhead.

Thus began Naruto's second unpleasant lesson of the day as his clone could not successfully disperse before its pseudo body was smashed into pseudo jelly. The splattered clone dispersed from the massive damage and Naruto got hit full in the brain of exactly what it felt like to be ground into a fine, sticky paste in the space of a quarter of a second.

Kage Bunshin no Jutsu was a 'forbidden' jutsu for a _reason_.

--

The watching ninja looked on in bewilderment as Choji — cheery, chubby Choji — pounded and battered the 'star' ninja of Team Akachi. As Naruto fell from the air, he shuddered and shouted a hoarse, pained yelp, landing in a huddled ball while Choji slammed into the arena wall, shaking the tower to its foundations. Naruto forced himself somehow to stand as Choji picked himself up, legs wobbling and looking about fifteen pounds thinner as he tried to gather himself to finish the fight. He'd put everything he had into those attacks, and his panting, shaking form clearly showed it.

Naruto was all over the place. He was a mess. The physical damage was unimportant; Kyuubii's chakra was already dealing with it, but the mental impact of enough pain to force a normal person into shock left him reeling and unsteady. The curse mark was throbbing a little but, compared to what he had just felt, it was almost laughable. His eyes started to focus again as he saw Choji start to roll up into a ball and come at him again. Naruto jumped out of the way, dodging desperately, trying buy himself time to get back into the fight. Choji rolled past far too swiftly for safety, as Naruto felt the wake of air shake him as he barely leaped aside in time. Choji's rolling charge slammed into the opposing arena wall, and the building shook again, as a portion of the wall buckled inwards, stone splintering and flying outwards.

Naruto landed, shaky but improving, and got a clear look at the damage Choji's impact had left. _Just goes to show you. Shikamaru _always_ knows what he's talking about._

**YOU MEAN IT HAS TAKEN YOU THIS LONG TO FIGURE THAT OUT? FOR A GENIUS, YOU CERTAINLY ARE SLOW.**

Naruto snorted, as he formed another batch of fifteen or so Kage Bunshin. _Bii-san... with all due respect... shut up._

Naruto sent three of his clones charging forward as Choji, his expansion technique dismissed, leaned against the wall and tossed something small in his mouth. As he bit down and swallowed, the clones attempted a joint attack, one that Choji, suddenly refreshed, blocked with hands that swelled to massive proportions. As the clones rebounded, preparing to renew their assualt, Choji lashed out again with his fists, and Naruto permitted the clones to dissipate rather than let the kage bunshin take the chakra they'd need to maintain their forms under the damage they'd taken.

Their memories flooded his mind, and they'd gotten a look at the pocket Choji was now closing: a small, plastic bag with a number of pellets inside that he would bet were hyorogan, as well as a plastic container with three larger pellets of a more colorful variety. _What on earth were those?_ he wondered to himself. They were a problem. If they were Hyorogan, that meant Choji would be able to use that rolling attack with impunity for as long as his supplies of the soldier pills held out. And it was almost impossible to hit Choji with any sort of lasting effect while he was so massive and rotating the way he did.

Then an almost completely forgotten item occurred to him. In fact, other than a fight in Nami no Kuni, he'd never actually seen them used in a real fight. Naruto reached into a pocket of his own, with a smile. _I think that I know EXACTLY the tools I need to fight that rolling attack._

Naruto walked to the front of the group of clones, carefully keeping the hand behind his back in sight of his clones but out of the sight of Choji… and was rewarded with a soft chorus of chuckles in his own voice from behind himself. The clones mimicked his action, and Choji, watching them cautiously from the far side of the ring, felt a moment of anxiety as he saw the look in Naruto's eyes, echoed by his many copies.

Choji shook it off as intimidation. Team Akachi was known to be intimidating... and Naruto had turned out to not be quite so strong as the rumors said, regardless of what he'd heard from Shino and Hinata. Sure, Shino was creepy and all, but everyone knew Hinata absolutely worshipped the ground Naruto walked on, and Shino would support his teammates before all else. Naruto obviously couldn't deal with Choji's sheer, brute force; so Choji would give him more of it. And he might actually make it to chunin through his first Chunin exam.

Choji swelled up again, rolling forward like a juggernaut. Naruto and his small crowd charged forward to meet him. And just before the two forces would meet, Naruto and his clone crowd dodged to either side.

Choji was a victim of momentum; superficial cuts and puncture wounds appeared all over his massive form as he rolled over the caltrops Naruto and his clones had dropped behind them as they charged forward. While none of them was life threatening or even particularly damaging, the unexpected wave of stippling pains unraveled Choji's jutsu and sent him tumbling head over heels, jarring him painfully.

Naruto had no time for triumph; the chakra parasite was throbbing again, getting worse with each pulse, and he knew that if he was going to finish this off he would have to do it quickly. Even so few (for him) as fifteen Kage Bunshin had apparently been too much; his limits with the mark kept dropping the longer he had it. No time left.

Naruto let the clones dissipate, channeling chakra to his feet and staggering slightly as the curse mark spiked viciously. But he mastered himself and leaped, landing atop Choji with a kunai directly under his chin. Most of the caltrops that had stuck into Choji had vanished when the clones who'd dropped them had been released. Choji froze in shock and stared up at Naruto with his old fear surging again, as Naruto looked him in the eye and demanded quietly, "Yield."

Choji gulped and said, "P-proctor, I y-yield."

"Winner: Uzumaki Naruto!" Hayate announced.

--

To Choji, Naruto looked and felt relieved; he got himself up off the shaken Akimichi as Hayate made the announcement. The smaller boy reached down to help Choji up to his feet; but as Choji reached out to take his hand, Naruto suddenly cringed and shook, neck and arm tensing horribly as a strangled noise made its way out of his throat. Choji blinked, only to cry out in astonishment as Naruto collapsed next to him, the blond huddled into a fetal position and desperately clutching his neck.

Hayate ran forward to the blond genin, but Kakashi, now watching the matches after his meeting with the 'Hokage' and Gai, shunshin-ed to the arena floor and spoke to Naruto in soothing, calm tones as he made several hand-seals and touched Naruto's shoulder. From the blacony, Hinata gave a terrified shout and vaulted recklessly over the rail, landing clumsily in her panic, but still ran to Naruto's side. Hayate started to call the medic nins forward but Kakashi halted their progress with a raised hand.

"This isn't so much a medical emergency as one that involves seals," Kakashi said calmly, his face unreadable as ever beneath his mask. "Being that I am more accomplished in what is needed for this particular problem, I will attend to this." Hayate and the medics looked up at the Hokage, who only nodded at them, before they stood back and let Kakashi take Naruto from the room, while Hinata followed closely, eyes only on Naruto.

Choji gazed after the blond genin as he was carried and followed from the room, feeling a mix of confusion, guilt, and uncertainty. _What the heck is going on?_

**End Chapter Seventeen**

-AN: Hmm. Well, I guess that wraps that up about as effectively as I could manage. Kind of falls flat there for me at the end, but I couldn't find a more appropriate way to end the chapter. I'd thought about giving the next match-up to sort of flavor the mix for the readers, but most of the matches are going to be very interesting; in fact, the coolness only builds.

A sneak preview for all of you: Match Six is Neji versus Kabuto. Neji fights for the pride of the Hyuuga clan, as well as his status as a genius, while Kabuto fights for his life. The other matches will be fairly epic, or at the very least rather fascinating. I don't intend for any aspect of the prelims to be boring. Gaara does not fight Rock Lee; nonetheless Gaara's fight will be tougher than he would have expected. Things are falling into place for me and while updates will be slower now, I'll still be posting, thanks to my pre-readers who helped me smack my head through that writer's block that was holding me up the last week or so.

A further note on chapter order: The interlude I posted does NOT properly belong in the place that it was posted in the story, but it gives nothing away about the prelim matches and doesn't really hurt any of the surprises I've still got, both contained therein and with events subsequent to it. Eventually, as the story catches up to its proper place I will move the Interlude to where it belongs. Until then, I will leave it where I posted it. Just be forewarned that at some point in the future I will reorder it to its rightful place.

Nothing else major to add, except that I have been exposed to the mind raping horror that is the YouTube series Italian Spiderman. Watch it at your own risk, and beware the penguins.

Ja mata.

-AXENOME


	20. Chapter Eighteen: Under Pressure

Chapter Eighteen: Under Pressure

"Hospital rules. No exceptions."

Sasuke looked at the medic-nin incredulously. "You've got to be kidding."

Sasuke and several medic-nin were facing off in the receiving room against a doctor, two nurses, and an orderly standing by the gurney on which Sasuke had been lying two minutes before. The stand-off, with Sasuke still leaking somewhat from underneath all the bandages, began when the orderly informed him that he would need to disarm during admittance.

Sasuke was simultaneously amused and horrified. "I am a member of the most prominent and feared team in the current Chuunin Exam. The team they've handicapped since the moment we handed in our applications five days ago. I don't have a solid count on the casualties, but I'm willing to bet that in the second exam we inflicted twice the number of casualties of all the other teams _combined_ because they were encouraged by the conditions of the exam to come after us. And, to top it all off, I am the LAST Uchiha in Konoha. And you seriously want me to voluntarily disarm?"

The doctor and the older of the two nurses exchanged a long suffering look. The doctor looked back at Sasuke. "All of that is precisely WHY we want you to disarm… most especially your anxiety."

Sasuke looked unconvinced. The doctor elaborated. "Look, the hospital is guarded and patrolled night and day by ANBU, both inside and out. You are a genin. If THEY cannot handle an intruder, what on earth do you think you can do while you are so banged up you're hospitalized? We will be able to treat our patients more effectively and smoothly if we don't have to worry about which ones are armed and might fly off the handle. And before you start insisting that you aren't going to fly off the handle, please remember this: many of our shinobi patients are very jumpy and are admitted after terribly dangerous missions where constant strain and brutal injury are still fresh in their minds.

"We've lost nurses, and even a couple of doctors, to shinobi waking up under flashbacks while they were _un-_armed_._ What kind of a mess do you think an injured and shell-shocked chuunin could wreak with a small bundle of explosive notes? You should be grateful that hospital rules don't require you to be constantly _sedated_ while you are here."

The doctor took a deep breath, then let it out in a frustrated sigh. He ran a hand through greasy, thinning hair, and Sasuke could see the exhaustion in his eyes. "Look, kid. I understand your position. You are in one of the most dangerous jobs in the world, during your most vulnerable point in your career. But I am tired, I am cranky, and I've spent the last twenty-two hours straight patching up _your_ handiwork. Between all the glass shrapnel, drowning victims, poisons, and other weird shit that's been showing up this time around, I am out of patience so make up your damed mind. And for fuck's sake, do it _fast_, because you are making a mess out of my floor." The doctor turned and stalked off, audibly cursing the day he chose to practice medicine in a shinobi village.

Sasuke looked at the orderly and nurses, who looked back at him expectantly. Finally, Sasuke scowled and capitulated resentfully. He pulled off his tool bag, set it in the small fold-out case. Then he began pulling out the various weapons and tools he'd hidden on his body in case of losing the tool bag, including several dozen shuriken, five full spools of varying gauge wire, several bags of barbed stem eye-hooks, eight smoke bombs, two hooked mesh nets, a collapsible saw, thirty feet of cord, a half dozen knives, fourteen throwing senbon, and various minor knickknacks. The medic-nin were gaining expressions implicative of increasing degrees of being impressed: he was a walking arsenal. He was carrying as many weapons as the average jonin, and even casual examination showed that most of the reusable tools had seen use. But then, he _was_ an Uchiha. And when you thought about what he was teamed up with, a certain degree of preparedness made a sort of sense. Jinchuuriki were known for their volatility, and one never knew when he might snap and turn on his comrades.

It took several minutes, but finally, Sasuke took out a fukimibari from inside his right cheek where it rested along his gumline, looked at it for a long moment, and dropped it into the case. He scowled at the hospital staff. "Can we please get on with this?"

The medic-nin and nurses nodded, and the orderly lowered the gurney so he could comfortably get back on it, before he was carted off to toxicology.

--

There was a brief but absolutely silent struggle as a nurse was pulled into a janitorial closet.

The ANBU on duty would later testify under Ibiki's more vigorous ministrations that he had seen nothing, knew nothing, about both this and what came subsequently. While it was, perhaps, a rather harsh fashion by which to pursue truth, the fact remained that the Medical Incident occurred on his watch, in his zone of responsibility, without him ever learning it had happened until after it was already over. He was permitted to live and to resume his position — an extremely benevolent gesture on the part of ANBU command — mostly due to the mitigating circumstance that Orochimaru was later confirmed to have been personally responsible for both the death of the nurse and the Uchiha's curse. Since protocol for such a lapse in attentiveness was criminal prosecution under Court Martial for gross dereliction of duty and criminal negligence, it was a very light sentencing indeed. He was even reinstated with no formal reprimand.

The interrogation, itself, had somewhat longer lasting effects, as even though medic-nin were eventually able to regenerate his eyelids and teeth, they were never able to regrow his finger and toenails. Ibiki _was_ an artist, after all.

--

Cleanup after Choji and Naruto's match was more complicated. Caltrops, broken tile, blood, and the like were swept aside and, in the case of tiles, replaced. The damage to the walls was left alone, although Hayate wondered if there would be a tower left standing after the other jinchuuriki's fight. Although the one who had done the most damage was that damned Akimichi kid; like father, like son. Hayate muttered darkly to himself about villages showing off this year.

The next match was posted.

_Subaku no Kankuro. Akado Yoroi_.

--

Yoroi cursed the luck. He knew that Kankuro was part of the invasion. He'd taken pains to find out more about the plan from Kabuto and Orochimaru, and requisitioned dossier on their abilities, for the purposes of not screwing anything up. He also knew that Kankuro's part to play was fairly important. _Just as well that idiot Tsurugi didn't make it to the third exam, _Yoroi thought to himself. _Knowing him he'd have just rushed right in, much like he did when he got himself filleted. _

In order for the plans to come off smoothly, Kankuro would need to be somewhere near Gaara when the invasion began — meaning, in the waiting area when the signal came to attack — which, in turn, meant that Kankuro _had_ to win this match.

Yoroi detested the idea of throwing the fight; he hungered to suck someone's chakra dry and watch them flop helplessly as their body lost the ability to keep itself alive. It was so rare that he got to cut loose, after all, being their team was actually a sleeper cell, and the need for keeping a low profile. It was a choice between two bad options, but one of them would maintain their plans most effectively... so there really wasn't much to be indecisive about. For the sake of the mission, his duty was clear.

As the two of them faced off, Yoroi grimaced under his mask in distaste before clearing his throat to get Hayate's attention. "Examiner Gekko-san?"

"Ummm... Yes?" asked Hayate, raising an eyebrow.

"He's gonna run away," Kankuro commented scornfully with a smirk. "He's shaking like the- I mean... _a_... leaf."

Yoroi took a step forward, his blood singing at the thought of being called a coward. "What did you just say you lipstick-wearing felch monkey?"

Kankuro's eyes narrowed dangerously as he stepped forward chest to chest with Yoroi. "Call me that again, you masked little chicken-shit."

"HOLD IT!" snapped Hayate, forcefully parting them and taking up a place in the middle. "Uhhh, either of you attacks in any fashion before I start the match you _will_ be disqualified." Hayate looked back at Yoroi. "(cough) Yoroi-san, you had something to say?"

Yoroi took one look at Kankuro's smirking face and thought of the mission resting in this idiot's hands. _Fuck this; he'll ruin the whole mission._ "Yeah. Just make sure the medical staff has a toe-tag ready cause this fucker's headed for the morgue."

Kankuro's smirk turned even nastier. "Well, someone is, at any rate."

"Ummm... I take it," said Hayate dryly, "that neither of you has any objections?"

Hayate's light cough did nothing to mask their response. "None." "Oh, not at all."

"Begin!"

--

Kankuro led the fight with a vicious swing that promised to take off any extremity it made contact with. Yoroi slipped the punch and drove an open palm into Kankuro's face, hand wreathed in dark, hungry chakra. Kankuro's head flopped backwards in his grip lifelessly, bonelessly, but Yoroi's reaction was one of surprise. _There's almost no chakra to pull!_

Kankuro's head may have been lifeless but the rest of him was quite mobile, and Yoroi, holding onto the head in the fashion he was, made himself a stationary target. Kankuro's second punch was a devastating left cross that apparently came from somewhere in the vicinity of Amagakure, picking up speed the whole trip. Yoroi's right cheek imploded with a meaty, wet crunching sound, and teeth and bits of bone tore through his lips and gums. Yoroi staggered but remained standing, his grip still solid, as his mind processed the information he'd already received with what had happened in the fight, putting two and two together and cursing himself for not seeing it sooner in his anger. This sort of thing was the reason you studied an enemy. Ignoring the numb sensation that was spreading through his face — numbness from the absence of still connected nerves rather than the absence of damage — he twisted his wrist, popping off the doll's head and slamming it down as hard as he could manage on the bundle on "Kankuro's" back. The head shattered, wood and hair and sharpened bits of metal flying as the doll dropped the bundle, which came unraveled to reveal the puppet-master himself.

Kankuro put a shaking hand to the top of his head and pulled it back, staring in numb horror at the bloodied needle he came back with. The smashed remains of Karasu's head lay on the floor as Yoroi suddenly got the message his shattered face was sending, and fell to one knee with a gurgling, muffled — but agonized — scream.

Kankuro knew the rules of battle. The one who needed plastic surgery still won if his opponent was dead.

Kankuro had no intentions of going out alone.

The poison was a fast acting one. He had about forty five seconds before he lost consciousness, and another minute before he was dead. With no warning, Karasu's forearm folded backwards and shot a poison gas bomb directly into the ground at their feet.

Hayate leaped backwards, recognizing the threat for what it was, but Yoroi had no chance, as he was wallowing in shock from the massive damage Karasu's fist had inflicted. The smoke cleared in a few seconds, with the medic-nin rushing forward to the two unconscious boys, one from shock combined with the gas, the other from the effects of his own poisoned needles. The medic-nin both administered wide spectrum general antidotes, slowing the progress of the poison long enough that they could get them to ICU where the poisons could be completely countered and removed.

It would be a week before the two were out of ICU. Kankuro would be present for the third exam, but only as a spectator. Yoroi went into a coma from the combination of cerebral edema and shock; in spite of the best efforts of the doctors in the shinobi wing of the hospital, he never came back out.

At least their match had been easy to clean up after.

--

The curse mark was a nasty piece of work. Each one was unique according to the talents, affinities, and bloodlines of the bearer. It was adaptive; so much so as to seem almost sentient and, with unhesitating speed, it would fight off any attempts that one made to eradicate it, entwining itself in one's very chakra and digging in, adapting to any tactics used against it. It was one reason Orochimaru had learned so many abilities to use the mark effectively. Once he'd acquired it, he'd discovered there was effectively no way to be rid of it.

Kakashi finished drawing the last figure on Naruto's skin. The blond had been drifting in and out of coherency for most of the procedure. Finally, Kakashi released the stretched lines of chakra energy, watching them coil up and draw in the characters he'd etched in his own blood on Naruto's skin. Each character was a circuit, a conduit for chakra energy to twist the effects of the curse mark back upon itself, mutating and fooling the mark into adapting to fight only itself. So long as the willpower of the curse mark's victim was strong, and refused the siren's call of the power the mark offered, the mark could be sealed away indefinitely.

The process of sealing was painful. Naruto's eyes went wide and his fugue vanished as the seal hissed and smoked. Hinata watched, wincing as she saw the pain etched on his face, but she made no move, uttered no sounds, as she'd promised Kakashi in exchange for being allowed to stay in Naruto's presence, the only support she would be able to give him, for now. The Hyuuga heiress shuddered as Naruto gave one last grunt of pain, then sagged as the last of the twisting script had condensed into a circular pattern around the trio of crescent marks. Kakashi lifted his hand and took a deep breath. "It's done."

Hinata ran forward to check on the blond and Kakashi watched. Naruto seemed confused by Hinata's attempts to comfort him, but she offered no explanation or excuse. She simply knelt next to him, alternately checking his shoulder and looking into his eyes with concern… and a small blush.

Kakashi watched, remembering echoes of Rin... and gave a disconsolate sigh for the past. If he knew then what he knew now, would he have brushed her aside the way he had?

After a moment, Kakashi was forced to admit he probably would have. There had been a war on, and Kakashi always put duty ahead of his own wishes. To his own disgust he couldn't even pretend he might have done otherwise, and hated himself all over again as he remembered the last time he saw her, the pain in her eyes as he rebuffed her for the last time. And it finally stuck.

_I truly am a damned soul,_ he thought to himself, and felt himself sink lower as he saw Naruto's complete lack of response to Hinata's honest emotion and wish for him to be happy. "And I've dragged him down with me."

"Kakashi-sensei?" asked Hinata, hearing him say something and turning to face him.

And as he looked at her innocent face, Kakashi felt his disgust all over again as he knew he couldn't bring himself to admit it. "Nothing, Hyuuga-san. Nothing important."

--

Hayate coughed before giving a sigh of exasperation as he watched the medic-nin cart off Kankuro and Yoroi. _Is it too much to ask for a fight that ends _without_ the intervention of the medical staff?_ he asked himself.

The next match posted on the display, and Hayate groaned, as all hope of a clean fight went out the window. _Kami above and below. A cat-fight. This is going to be messy, even by today's standards._

**Subaku no Temari. Haruno Sakura**.

--

Temari watched in shock as her teammate and brother was carted off the arena floor by the medic-nin. For the plan, this was extremely bad. The only way it could be worse, in fact, was if Gaara were to lose his match. But then, the only risk of that would be if he were to have faced the last Uchiha or the Uzumaki jinchuuriki. And both of them had already fought. Neither one had put any serious effort into their match, either being handicapped or else handicapping themself. And apparently, from the way the jinchuuriki had fallen over after his match, he had been sick, somehow. Gaara had never been sick a day in his life, as far as she knew. _Was that a property all jinchuuriki shared or something unique to Shukaku?_ She didn't know.

The motion from the board caught her eyes, and she stared with horror at the next match. Then her eyes went to the girl who stood up, looking at her momentarily, before she smiled, cheerfully. It was _her_. The girl who had begged Uzumaki not to hurt her boyfriend. The one who had confronted her in the village on the Suna team's first day in the village. The one Uzumaki was obviously in love with.

Moments later, Temari found herself walking down to the arena floor feeling worse and worse as the girl chattered cheerfully about inconsequential topics. She couldn't bring herself to be rude and leave her there, not when she was a friend of Naruto's.

As they faced off, Sakura began speaking slightly louder. "Nice weapon. New?"

Temari nodded, not trusting her voice.

"Looks like a Koemi weapon," Sakura surmised. "In fact, I'd even say it was a piece done by Takeru, second best in their whole clan, after Oyaji Tatsu himself! You must have made an impression on them!"

Temari felt her joints lock up as the intensity of Sakura's words hit her. The fact that Naruto had given her a gift from a master in a clan of renowned weapon-smiths...

Hayate was watching the byplay with fascination.

--

"Hmmm," said the 'Hokage' — actually a kage bunshin of Kakashi concealed by a henge — with a quirked glance.

"You see it too, eh?" murmured Gai with his trademark grin.

"Hayate's entranced," commented Kurenai.

"This might be the awakening of a great potential," the shadow clone said with a nod.

--

Sakura had no bloodlines. She had no great strength. She had no massive chakra reserves, or powerful ninjutsu. In fact, all she really had was her precise chakra control and her brains.

It was true, however, that her brain was a powerful weapon in its own right. Had she been paired with someone stronger, she might have been overwhelmed, might have fallen behind in their shadows and felt engulfed by their presence so that she never really bothered to improve herself at all until much later. But teamed up with her best friend, learning to respect, then finally care for, Choji, a boy nobody else ever noticed, wanting to do her best to protect them both and match them, Haruno Sakura wound up putting that formidable mind to work. And nowhere is talent for thought more useful than in the Art of genjutsu.

The genjutsu she was using was very low level, a type that required very little chakra but very steady concentration, control and focus. It also required a great deal of time to keep the trickle going long enough to have its effect, to grain by grain add enough emotional weight until the target was crushed underneath it. Originally developed by the Yamanaka family for interrogations, they named it 'the Pressure', and it was a favorite technique of Morino Ibiki, although his use of it was refined so heavily it was almost a distinct technique in its own right.

While useful, it was originally believed to have no real combat applications, no use beyond interrogation, until Haruno Sakura managed to catch a target in the middle of town with Team Ten. The mission parameters had been to catch the target unawares and without revealing themselves to the enemy or to the innocents in the area, as the target was believed to have some sleeper allies in the village he was hiding out in. Sakura had laid 'the pressure' on him with the jutsu while distracting him with conversation, and within a few minutes had built up the guilt so high that he broke, turning himself in to the authorities, without Team Ten ever having to lift a finger.

Sakura was much better at it now, and could inflict a variety of emotions, but she always felt most comfortable with guilt. And when she saw the look in the Suna kunoichi's eyes as she stood up, she had her answer: this Suna girl was perfect, a free ride into the finals. She was already feeling guilt over something, all she had to do was layer a genjutsu, appear just to be conversational while she set up the flow and started dropping those grains of sand, until the pressure was enough for her to break. She gave Choji a brief smile as he wished her luck, and started counting the grains off.

--

Hayate assessed the Haruno girl. She was apparently trying some sort of a mind game. Sakura had obviously struck a nerve when she mentioned the weapon, the Suna-nin was almost paralyzed by Sakura as the Konoha kunoichi spoke.

"A weapon like that… Why, you couldn't buy it. A daimyo wouldn't get anywhere trying to commission a work like that. It would only find its way into the hands of the worthy!" chattered Sakura, seemingly oblivious. "They only make weapons like that for people to whom they owe a life debt or something similar. You must have done something special for them! What was it? Did you save someone's life? Oh, I know! You performed a service of great value to their whole clan! That's why they chose you as so deserving of that weapon, right?"

Temari was shaking under the weight of the guilt. As Sakura spoke, she felt the real impact of what kind of a gift Naruto had made to her... all for ruining her weapon when she and her team had been in the wrong. To replace a weapon she'd lost fighting an unworthy battle to defend a teammate who was bullying little kids.

"But... if it was nothing like that... then maybe you... _didn't_ deserve it, huh? Maybe you just piggy-backed on someone else's work. Maybe it shouldn't belong to you at all. Maybe it more deservingly belongs to someone who was kind to you that you took advantage of; took advantage of him, took _from_ him; took away something from him that you shouldn't have had and you don't _deserve_ it!"

Temari shook herself, tears streaming from her eyes as she formed the ram seal and shouted, "KAI!"

The genjutsu shattered.

--

Hayate blinked in surprise as the image of Sakura cheerfully browbeating the Suna girl was replaced by Sakura, holding the sign of the ox, and chanting, "Guilt... guilt..."

"Haruno Sakura: Disqualified!" he snapped. "Forfeiture through violation of pre-emptive attacks!"

Sakura released her hands and cursed, gritting her teeth. In front of her, still streaming tears, Temari was growing a look of pure rage at the Haruno girl, ready to draw her new weapon and _end_ the little bitch — match be damned; friend of Naruto be damned. She was ready to gut the little cunt and wipe her sandals on the little tramp's liver.

"Get lost you little whore before I kill you," Temari snarled. Sakura, recognizing that in a straight up fight the Suna girl would probably slaughter her, decided to vacate the arena floor, and though she wasn't running, she _was_ moving at a pace faster than a walk.

--

The jonin in the balcony nodded amongst one another at Sakura's performance. That she had maintained two genjutsu at once was impressive. That she'd managed to snare Hayate without him having a clue in one of them was astounding.

"She will bear watching," noted Gai. "She almost won that match."

"Yes. She cheated beautifully. …just like a shinobi," Kurenai agreed with a smile.

Because that was the rule that applied, not merely to the first exam, but to the entire thing: if you're going to cheat, do it well enough not to be caught. _That_ was how to be a shinobi.

Asuma gave a smile of his own as he pulled out a cigarette and lit it; other jonin's disapproving stares be damned. "So... was it good for you guys?"

Kurenai snorted, casting Asuma a sidelong glance. "Typical male. Leave the woman to do all the work and then try to take the credit after."

"Psh," Anko said disdainfully. "_This_ ought to be a fight to keep us on the edge of our seats."

The instructors all turned their heads to look at the board.

**Yakushi Kabuto. Hyuuga Neji**.

"What's Kabuto's record?" asked the clone-Hokage.

"Mediocre," Yamato, flipping through several pages on a clipboard, summed up his notes. "Several D rank missions, two C rank. Unremarkable as an operative, subsidizes his shinobi income with hospital work. Fairly average, tried the exam six times before this one, last two he dropped out before the Third exam. It appears that he finally worked up the courage to give it a real shot this time."

"Hmm…" grunted the Hokage absently.

"Interesting," said Yamato suddenly.

"What?" the Hokage prompted.

"Yakushi Kabuto was a captured nin child from the battle at Kikyu pass. Claimed by a medic-nin who said the kid survived on the field," Yamato replied. "He's shown no remarkable ability since then... but..."

"But this type of test is the sort that always brings the best of one's potential to the fore," finished the Hokage.

--

Kabuto and Neji faced off against one another. Neji had activated his byakugan. "Interesting," commented Neji, unconsciously and unknowingly echoing Yamato's word. "Your elevated heart rate and accelerated perspiration indicate your anxiety, while your smirk shows confidence as you look at me. Your posture is weighted forward with your balance on your toes, indicating you are prepared and eager to fight me. You are afraid... but not of me. And this despite the fact that your eyes state that you know exactly who I am. So the question... Yakushi-san is... who are you _really_ afraid of?"

"It doesn't really matter," Kabuto said flippantly, a deadly glint shining in his eyes. His killing intent was rising. "He isn't here to save you."

Hayate cleared his throat, looking between them. "Ummm... I assume you two have no objections?"

The two genin shook their heads, never losing sight of each other's stare.

Hayate coughed, and said, "Begin!"

End Chapter Eighteen

-AN: Another one down. Hope it was worth the wait. I spent three and a half hours non-stop typing just to get this finished.

I know I am going to be drawing flak from the Sakura haters and probably the Sakura fans for a) pairing up Sakura and Choji, b) for actually giving her an ABILITY, c) her different attitude towards the Exam rather than reluctance, or d) any combination of the above, including possibly _all_ of them.

To all of you, I say: If she passed her exam, then she had some potential to be more than she was portrayed as in the manga. Which Shipuuden, of course, corroborates. And Sakura fights Ino rather viciously in the canon exam, even if she doesn't use any impressive techniques. I personally think that Kishi just didn't want to think anything interesting up for her, and paired her off with Ino so the two of them could slap fight at each other without one of the contestants getting killed.

Kankuro versus Yoroi: Yoroi is an aggressive hothead. He's also devoted to the mission. I tried to set up the scene keeping both of these things in mind, and assemble a conflict in his feelings for these two disparate factors. I rather liked the way it came out, as well, since dodging Tsurugi wasn't well managed in canon. I figured that Kankuro's confidence would keep him from dodging here, especially if he had no clue that his enemy knew where he really was.

Ah, well… I had a whole list of things I was thinking of saying but I'm finishing this at 4am my time. I'm wiped out, so forgive me, but my commentary is done.

Ja mata.

-AXENOME


	21. Chapter Nineteen: Genius

Chapter Nineteen: Genius

Neither Kabuto nor Neji moved immediately. Neji settled into a Jyuuken stance, the Mantis, and stood poised, waiting for Kabuto to make the first move. Kabuto's hands were also open, sinking into a defensive stance, eyes alert and gauging. The two of them eyed one another. Neji made a slight shift to the left. Kabuto's hands angled slightly as he reoriented his shoulder to match. They paused this way for a split second, before Kabuto responded, settling his weight a little further forward and sinking lower, while raising his rear hand and inching his lead hand forward. Neji brought his hands slightly higher and sank lower as well, hips level and poised for rapid shifting. As Kabuto brought his weight off his rear leg and turned his shoulders, Neji adjusted from Mantis to Dragonfly stance, and Kabuto arrested his kick before he began it.

Minute shifts in balance and arm position flickered back and forth between the two of them, each preparing for impending assault; minor changes forestalling attacks by split seconds.

Neji's eyes narrowed. _This Kabuto is far more skilled than any genin. Why hasn't he advanced before this?_

Likewise, Kabuto's assessment of Neji was seeing rapid escalation. _No wonder they call him a genius. Every attack I prepare, he's ready to counter before I commit to the attack._

The two paused in their duel of no blows, their weaving halting as their eyes met, and suddenly, they simultaneously charged one another, open hands flashing, weaving, thrusting, and blocking. Their clash lasted for perhaps two seconds, when the two of them sprang apart again, both bearing injury from their brief engagement.

Kabuto spit a little blood, while Neji's right hand curled inwards as though seeking his elbow.

Neji's hand was crippled; the tendons across the back of his forearm had been severed by Kabuto's chakra scalpel as Neji deflected a strike aimed for his diaphragm. But, hampered as he was, Kabuto was in no better shape. Bright blood bubbled from his nostril. It was coming from his left lung; courtesy of the double left-handed strike Neji had landed on Kabuto's shoulder and ribs.

The two combatants eyed one another carefully. The probing phase of the fight was over, and now they were going to get serious.

--

Naruto was walking on his own under the watchful eye of Kakashi, despite the protests and attempts to help from Hinata. Naruto seemed not to comprehend her wish to help, and wasn't accepting it in any case.

They rounded the corner, only to stop momentarily, taken aback by the sight of Neji and Kabuto blurring attacks back and forth at one another. Neji was clearly worse off. He was fighting left-handed, using a kunai to fend off Kabuto's furious assault. Kabuto bore a mad, bloodthirsty gleam in his eyes. He moved lithely, limberly, apparently unimpeded, despite the blood trickling from the corner of his mouth and from both nostrils. He lashed out high with a kunai, attempting to bind Neji's single blade so Kabuto's second blade had an open shot. That was when Neji played one of his aces; chakra glowed from his skin, and Neji spun clockwise in place.

The chakra erupted outwards in a visible sphere, impacting against Kabuto and flinging him back ten yards. He tumbled, uncontrolled, his kunai flying upwards in a narrow arc. Neji stopped his spin, grabbing the errant weapon between two fingers of his left hand, before sending the captured weapon, along with his own, at the other genin.

Kabuto brought a hand up and twisted, deflecting one of the kunai with the metal plate on his glove while angling his head to deflect the second with his hitai-ate. He bounced once — a minor price for his dodge, compared to a pair of kunai in the face — and skidded up against the wall. A pale green glow suffused his hand as he got himself back to his feet, hand passing over scrapes and scratches which were gone by the time his hand had moved on.

Naruto, Kakashi, and Hinata stared in disbelief, Hinata at the use of a technique solely the territory of the main Hyuuga family, while Naruto and Kakashi's surprise stemmed from the near instantaneous healing of Kabuto's injuries.

Naruto especially found the display fascinating. What Kabuto had demonstrated in the Forest of Death on their way to the tower hadn't even hinted at this level of expertise. Kabuto's hand lingered for a few seconds over the left side of his chest, and suddenly Kabuto was breathing easier, the subtle buzz of bloody phlegm reduced. Kabuto gave a single strong cough as the glow faded from his hand, then spit out an ugly wad of crud, his lungs cleared.

Kabuto looked over at Neji, whose disbelief was blatant and held undertones of growing despair. Kabuto's subsequent grin revealed teeth and lips still lined in his own blood, making an already frightening expression truly horrible to behold. "Shall we begin round two?" he asked.

Neji assessed his right hand with Byakugan. The tendons were all slashed on the outside, leaving him no way to open or even straighten his hand. His tool kit was tied to the outside of his right thigh, meaning he had to reach awkwardly across his own body to get anything out. Clumsily, he set to work unstrapping the pouch, looping the strap over his chest instead, before cinching it tight with teeth and working hand. He pulled out several kunai and a few explosive notes, holding the notes pinched between his curled fingers and his chest. As quickly as he could manage, he wrapped the notes around the handles of the kunai, but held off on activating them just yet.

Kabuto had also been rooting around in his own tool bag. After a moment, he shot a look at Neji and nodded. "Well, I think we're just about ready then, aren't we?"

"Yes... I think we are," Neji replied, flinging two of the kunai at Kabuto.

The medic-nin turned a side profile and shot a scornful look at Neji, while deflecting one kunai and completely ignoring the other as it sailed past. The explosive notes detonated as they struck the stone wall and flagstones; dust, debris, and chunks of stone kicked loose from the points of impact. Neji assessed the damage and smiled mysteriously.

Hinata understood. "Neji can't use hand seals for shunshin. He intends to substitute with Kwaraimi no jutsu."

Kakashi and Naruto grew thoughtful at this.

Neji charged forward again, and Kabuto ran to meet him. As the two almost met, Neji dropped the third kunai and used Kwaraimi with a chunk of stone to pull himself out of reach. Kabuto saw the kunai dropping, and in a split second had duplicated Neji's action.

As Kabuto reappeared next to Neji he knew he'd played directly into his opponent's hands, but he'd had little choice. Point blank at the detonation of an explosive note is not a favorable place to be, especially with the possible presence of tiny, jagged bits of shattered kunai.

By the time the short-ranged teleportation jutsu had completed, Neji had prepared himself, dropping into the Eight Trigrams stance. Kabuto desperately attempted to fall back, but he was too close and at optimum distance for Neji's deadliest technique.

Had Neji been uninjured the fight would have ended immediately. Despite Kabuto's skill in his desperate defense, Neji had picked apart those defenses with almost absurd ease. It might not have been the full sixty-four palms, but Kabuto still felt the impact of some thirty tenketsu strikes. His right hand and arm were all but useless, and his right leg didn't want to support him. Something fell out of his right hand that he snatched up with his left, some kind of small bundle. His thumb slipped into a hanging loop, and the bundle flew out, tethered now to Kabuto's left hand.

It was a net. As it opened, it enveloped the expanding sphere of chakra Neji raised through rotation, but instead of being deflected, the strands of the net instead began dragging along the surface of the rotation. Neji's rotation slowed. _What is this?_ he wondered. _The rotation should be forcing the net away from me!_

The byakugan gave him the answer. A small but steady stream of chakra was being channeled down the cord from the Isha-genin to every strand in the net, catching his own ejected chakra and creating a drag effect across the surface of the sphere. In moments, the rotation slowed, then stopped, as the net tangled itself in his limbs. Neji collapsed, his balance lost, as Kabuto stood and smirked at him. "Hyuuga Neji... You have been hailed as a genius. And I'd say you've certainly lived up to that name. But this is a net woven from my own hair, a part of me that can conduct my chakra through it. You can't use Kwaraimi to get away as long as my chakra causes interference, and you are completely at my mercy. Give up now; or I will end your career and win anyways. It is all the same to me."

Neji's common sense warred with his pride; it was the strength of his pride that sealed his fate. "I'm not finished yet!" he yelled.

Kabuto's smile brightened. "I thought you would say that." Kabuto formed several seals one handed with the hand that held the tether. "Issen Kirinuki no jutsu."

Chakra pulsed down the cord. Neji screamed once and went entirely limp.

Hayate watched Neji's unmoving body, not even breathing. "Winner, Yakushi Kabuto!"

--

The medic-nin rushed over. A quick chakra scan indicated the reason for his not breathing. One of the medic-nin began manipulating his breathing with chakra, while the others hoisted him onto a stretcher and rushed him out of the room. One of the medics remained behind, gesturing to Maito Gai.

Minutes later, as he heard the medic-nin's assessment, Gai stood numb with muted disbelief. "You... you must be mistaken. You _must_ be. It can't… He can't..."

The medic-nin was grim. "I fear we are not. As I said, every tendon and ligament in his body has been severed. If it was just this, we could expect a full recovery after a suitable period of convalescence. But the jutsu used against him is based on a surgical chakra scalpel which cauterizes and partially heals the wounds it leaves behind, in order to prevent the patient from bleeding to death. With the wounded ligaments and tendons sealed this way, there is too much scar tissue that remains behind. Even with the best medic-nin we have, his joints will never be the same. Every movement will be hampered. If he's lucky, he may be able to assume a normal civilian life, but he will never recover his normal flexibility and strength. His career as a shinobi is... over."

Gai stopped listening at this point, although the medic continued talking for a minute or so longer before he understood that Gai no longer heard him, and walked away. _All this time, all the effort I spent training Lee so that he could prove himself to Neji... And now Neji is crippled. Neji faced a test of his skills and was found wanting; and it's my fault. I didn't pay equal attention to Neji's training, and he has paid the price for it._

Intellectually, Gai knew that, perhaps, he wasn't being fair to himself. Yakushi Kabuto had entered the test as an unknown, and displayed a level of skill that would easily rival the average jonin. Yet he was not the only exceptional genin in the exam. Neji, too, had been an exceptional entrant, as had Uzumaki, Uchiha, and Choji. And Sakura, especially, had displayed not only skill and talent, but also the most difficult to attain trait of a superior shinobi; one that could not be attained through training, but only through instinct and experience — the temperament of winning.

_What right did I have to extend my attention almost exclusively to one student?_ Not really true, of course; he had endlessly tried to engage both Tenten and Neji in his training regimen, but only Lee had stuck to them and trained equally hard on his own. The real issue was Neji's choices. Neji had chosen to rely solely on his 'superior abilities' and hadn't trained them to their fullest potential. Or maybe he just wasn't ready? Perhaps, even now, he had still not been prepared for the trials and rigors of the Chunin Exam. Perhaps a year hadn't been enough.

Gai sighed and a tear fell down the side of his face. Perhaps Neji was even correct in his own philosophy.

Perhaps, this was simply fate.

--

The next match went forward despite the rubble. Evidently, they were not cleaning up after the last match. Either they were starting to run out of time, or else they had run out of patience. There wasn't much to clean up in the way of blood, at least; there was this to be thankful for.

The names of the next two were chosen.

**Mamochi Haku. Subaku no Gaara**.

--

A troubled wave of restlessness washed across the assembled jonin and proctors. The most dangerous genin in the exams was up next. And of all the remaining possible opponents he could face, a member of Team Akachi would be the worst.

It was no secret among the proctors and jonin that Team Akachi was being shaped specifically to be an assassination team. The three core members — Uchiha, Nara, and Uzumaki — had shown a great synergy together. Although some had mentioned a need for a kunoichi on the team, the Council of Elders had been impressed with their collusive talent for constructive violence. They mentioned that its current makeup could be augmented according to whatever situation in which the team was placed by the addition of any member they were lacking. A few veterans, however, most notably their jonin-sensei and the jonin-sensei of Team Eight, had expressed a desire for the mellowing influence of a female in their grouping on a permanent basis. One had mentioned that they were still people and would burn themselves out without some sort of balance; while the other had complained that they were drowning in their own testosterone. As the complaints were made anonymously — after a fashion — no one was certain which of the two had made which statement... but considering the infamous unpredictability of both of these particular jonin, either statement could have come from either one of them.

Haku, as something of a transvestite — and a disturbingly effective one at that — was a poor substitute for a female on the team, even if he did seem to lean towards the pursuit of a male romantic interest. He still tended towards competitiveness over common sense and hated to come out second best in anything. And since he was also in possession of a fairly powerful kekkei genkai, he might be just strong enough for Gaara to take a deadly interest in.

Win or lose, Haku threatened to make this portion of the exam very lively. Was he strong enough to beat Gaara, who had never been so much as scratched on a mission before? If so, that could be one way to solve the problem of the Sunagakure jinchuuriki. But if he couldn't, how much damage would Gaara do to win?

--

Gaara shunshined to the arena floor, but Haku elected to walk. After all, there was no point to wasting chakra to show off. It weakened you and put your enemy on guard.

Once Haku made it to the arena floor, he and Gaara looked one another in the eye. As they did so, Haku suddenly commented, "You have sad eyes."

Gaara's face was a welter of conflicting emotions. "What do— What are you talking about?" he demanded.

Haku smiled softly in response. "You remind me of _him_. Naruto," he clarified. Haku's eyes were shadowed, full of pain. "You have been lonely for a long time."

If anything, Gaara's confusion only increased. "Wh-what?! Why would you— What do you care about me?!" he snapped. "Why do you care? Why does HE care?! Why, _why,_ WHY?!" Gaara suddenly groaned, clutching his head and bending forward. Hayate was on his guard now, but he could detect no chakra flow, no genjutsu, no techniques, only rapidly rising killing intent.

Suddenly, Gaara straightened back up, murder in his gaze as he stared intently at Haku. In a voice as sharp as splintered glass, he said, "I will kill you."

Hayate glanced at the two of them as Haku sank into a fighting stance. In a loud voice he said, "Begin!"

--

Haku did not hesitate. The moment the words left Hayate's mouth, Haku was already throwing senbon. The cork on the gourd Gaara carried on his back popped out and sand flew out in a stream, deflecting the precise little weapons before they could land a hit. Gaara simply stood stationary, arms crossed, his face impassive... but his eyes alight with malice. Hissing sand was punctuated by the light ringing of multiple senbon striking the flagstones of the arena.

A dozen more senbon followed in rapid succession as Haku maneuvered, trying to keep Gaara on the defensive. More sand poured out of the gourd. Before long, it was Haku on the defensive, dodging against pounding wads of sand that forced him ever backwards, closer and closer to the wall.

--

"What is Haku doing?" wondered Naruto out loud.

"Ah, that's right," Kakashi said after a moment. He was still next to the remaining members of Team Akachi after bringing Naruto back with him. "You never saw Haku's fight with Sasuke on the bridge, did you?" It was more of a statement than a question.

"Haku is testing Gaara, like he did against Sasuke," Shikamaru explained. "He's feeling out Gaara's defenses, testing the waters, trying to get a feel for Gaara's style. Haku rather prefers finesse."

"Finesse nothing. He better stop feeling and start fighting," Naruto said grimly. "He keeps playing with Gaara like this, he's gonna get himself killed. Gaara's not the type you can play around with."

"How's that?" said Choji from nearby around a mouthful of vegetable chips.

Naruto gave it a moment's thought before he said, "Gaara's like me. Anyone who ever tried to play around with me has regretted it."

--

Haku didn't think he was playing around. He wanted to know exactly where Gaara's sand defenses were weakest. Where there might be some hesitation, if there might be a blind spot. Somewhere outside of his line of vision that Gaara's sand tended to gather the weakest.

He didn't find anything of the sort. It was like the sand had comprehensive vision of its surroundings and a mind of its own. He wanted to win. He wanted to live. He wanted... something; he wasn't sure what, acknowledgement or something, from Naruto. But more than anything, right now, he wanted to help this Sunagakure nin with the sad, lonely eyes.

_But we don't always get what we want,_ Haku thought to himself. _At any rate, I won't be able to get anything I want if I'm a wet smear on the ground._

Haku's kekkei genkai was an innate mastery over ice: its formation, control, shaping, and more. But to make use of it he had to have a ready source of water. Because of this, he carried three sources of water on his person at all times.

The first source was a small canteen, which he hurled in Gaara's direction. As expected, a large wad of sand flew out, smashing into the canteen and splashing the water everywhere. Some of the sand splattered to the ground, soaked, but Haku formed two rapid seals, and the water collected into a single mass, freezing solid. A sharp blade formed on the leading edge of the icy block and Haku flung it forward with his chakra as rapidly as he could manage, the frozen mass hurtling at Gaara like a spear.

Gaara brought his palm up, thrust outwards, and his sand rose up. It took the majority of the sand he had deployed to deflect the hurtling block of ice, and even then it hadn't lost all of its momentum. It tumbled to the side, smashing into dozens of shards that glittered in the light of the arena room. Haku pulled the plug on the second source of water on his person, and the water filled vest gurgled liquid onto the floor as Haku's chakra pulled the shards of ice back towards him.

The action was not lost on Gaara as he drew more sand from his gourd.

--

The genin in the balcony watched as what had been a match between ninja turned into a contest between sand and ice, each thrust out at one another, blades of ice turned aside by barriers of sand, pounding waves of sand thwarted by walls of ice. Gaara's face grew gleeful and savage as more sand flowed from his gourd, its sheer mass and weight forcing Haku's defenses closer and closer. Small pieces of ice were melting; Haku used the resultant water to enact Kirigakure no jutsu. The last clear sight the spectators had of Haku for the time being was him pulling what appeared to be a scroll out of his sleeve.

--

_Sealing and storage scrolls are among the most useful and underrated tools in the shinobi arsenal. With proper use and only a modicum of skill, large volumes and weights may be easily transported and stored in these carefully crafted scrolls. With sufficient skill, sealing scrolls might even be used to contain objects and materials that would ordinarily be highly destructive to a simple sheet of paper, such as fire... _

_... or water._

--

Haku allowed more of the ice to melt, freeing more of his chakra reserves to channel to his ears in the thick mist. In seconds, he had blanketed the entire arena floor. Near the wall, he created an open pocket in the mist in which he could see well enough to activate the scroll and waited, listening for sound. Specifically, he listened for the sound of shifting sand.

His ears homed in on the sound, pinpointing its location; the hissing, slither-scrape of thousands of miniscule pieces of silicone oxides, the sussurant whisper of moving sand.

Haku opened the scroll.

--

_Sealing scroll can be made in a number of ways. Some simply store the mass. These are by far the simplest such scrolls. Others give the option to direct the stored mass in any direction one chose upon activating the seal in the paper. These were the most complex, although highly versatile. But there was an intermediate degree of storage scroll which gave momentum to stored mass as it was summoned, albeit in a single direction in regards to the orientation of the scroll. Since the chakra granting this momentum was expended on crafting the seal, only a minimal amount of chakra is needed at the time of activation. And, properly used, this sort of scroll could be every bit as dangerous and flexible as the more advanced versions._

--

Haku carefully adjusted the orientation of the scroll with of the sound of the sand, before he channeled the necessary trickle of chakra into the scroll to discharge it.

In answer, water rushed out in a roaring fountain, several thousand gallons of water in total, its momentum sweeping away mist in swirls. Far more water than he ever expected to need — or even be able to use for any great length of time — but Gaara's power had clearly indicated that this was not a time for half measures. To penetrate Gaara's defenses would require a hammer-blow of monumental proportions; and Haku meant to be on the wielding end of that hammer. As the water flooded outwards, Haku channeled his chakra into the torrent, creating several hundred tiny, razor-sharp shards of ice, to be carried along by the water, ready to flense away the flesh and bone of any mortal body in its path.

Gaara's startled expression was gratifying as his body was swept up by the water and slammed into the wall… before the body came apart in a mass of sodden sand.

The mist finished dissipating, as the water settled. Haku hemmed in the water with a solid boundary of his coldest ice. Hayate held an extremely annoyed expression as he perched sideways on the arena wall, and Gaara stood on a hovering platform of sand several feet above the water. His expression was disdainful as he looked down at Haku. "Did you honestly think I wouldn't know that you were targeting me by sound?" he asked in a voice dripping with scorn.

Haku shook his head. "That doesn't matter anymore." He made a flurry of hand seals, and water sprang into the air, more of it, until the water on the floor was only a collection of irregular puddles, while the rest of it floated in air, forming a spherical formation of icy mirrors with Gaara at its center. Haku crouched and leaped, directly into one of them… and then, suddenly, his reflection was held within all of them.

--

Up in the seats, Naruto blinked his eyes, then activated his Kamigan, noting with pleasure that there was no longer any pain from the chakra parasite.

What he saw was beyond anything he could have expected. "Whoa!" he whispered reverently.

Shikamaru glanced over at Naruto. "What?"

"There's another... angle," Naruto said in a voice tinged with excitement. "And Haku's inside it!"

"What are you talking about?" asked Shikamaru. "What do you mean by 'another angle'?"

"The mirror, it... it goes in a different direction," Naruto elaborated with frustration, fumbling, unable to describe accurately what his eyes were telling him.

"What do you mean?" Sakura said from nearby. "Which mirror?"

Naruto's frustration began to mount. "No, you see, that's just it; there's only one mirror!" he said. "Those things aren't falling 'cause they're all attached. It's all one mirror!"

Everyone nearby looked at Naruto in blank confusion, except Sakura and Kakashi, who were looking at him in disbelief. Kakashi broke the silence. "Naruto… are you saying... No, wait. What does it look like?"

Naruto's scowl deepened. "It... _bends_ in a different direction than everything else. The area around all the sides of it, they are bent and join together at an angle that the rest of the area doesn't join it. Gaara's inside it where you can see it normally, but Haku's inside it where it _really_ is. They're... right next to each other, on top of each other practically, but they aren't... touching in any way. Does that make sense?"

Kakashi turned his gaze back to the mirrors and lifted his headband, but the result was much the same as the first time he'd seen it. But he was pretty certain he understood what Naruto was trying to say. "No wonder the ice is so hard to break. It can channel any shock or heat along a four-dimensional structure."

Shikamaru frowned, then fell into his meditation pose, trying to understand. Sakura had a look of semi-comprehension on her face. "So Haku is making a four-dimensional object... How is that even possible?"

"It seems," murmured Kakashi thoughtfully, "that there is more to Haku's kekkei genkai than we could have suspected."

"But why isn't it connected where we can see it?" pressed Sakura.

"Oh, it's weird," Naruto said. "It's like... the space around it is folded over the edges until all that pokes out is the sides we're able to see. You could walk right through the middle of the thing and not touch it but he's right next to you the whole time, and the only way where he's at is touching where we're at is those sides that are still there where we can see them. But none of the sides fall because it's keeping its own shape and all the weight is resting on that one side on the bottom there." Naruto pointed at the bottom-most mirror.

Kakashi rubbed his chin. "I wonder how it would be possible for anything based on a three-dimensional framework to damage it. Even if it is only ice, having a four-dimensional structure along which to transfer-"

"Shh!" interrupted Choji. "They're starting again."

--

Gaara and Haku had assessed one another for almost a full minute now; Haku periodically throwing senbon from several directions at Gaara any time his sand seemed to make a move, and Gaara attempting to discern the best angle from which to attack Haku. The ice seemed impervious to any pressure he threw at it; it didn't seem to even scratch.

Finally, Haku appeared to have a plan. Senbon launched from all the mirrors inwards. In response, Gaara's sand formed a shell around him, completely defensive and, as it did, the rate of senbon launching inwards increased. Haku's feet began appearing from the mirrors nearest to the ground, slapping puddles and splashing water upwards, and as the water splashed, it formed needles of ice, which too began to pound the outer shell of sand. Within thirty seconds, the exterior of the sand shell was studded with hundreds of icy and metallic needles, Haku was looking fatigued even from within the shell, and the first of the ice needles had melted and soaked into the shell of sand. Droplets of water began dripping down the outside, leaving small runnels in the packed mass of sand.

Finally, the barrage ended, and a portion of the sand shifted aside to reveal Gaara's emotionless face. "Is that it?" he asked.

"Not... not quite," Haku said between breaths, his stance declaring the progression from fatigue across the thin line into exhaustion. "One... more trick... remains... before this... is over."

Haku threw more senbon from multiple mirrors. The wet sand responded… and suddenly froze into sandy ice. No longer able to move freely, Gaara's chakra broke the ice and forced his sand to obey his will... but not... quite... fast enough.

Past all of Gaara's defenses, two senbon slipped, burying themselves within an inch of one another into and through his shoulder. Gaara's left arm went dead, and Gaara's eyes widened in disbelief. Slowly, he reached up and touched the needles, then the dribbles of blood soaking through his sash.

Haku attempted more senbon, but Gaara's gourd collapsed into sand as well. Waves of sand pounded ineffectually at the mirrors, even as senbon embedded themselves into the sand shell, but neither competitor had any noticeable effect, though Haku grew exhausted, sagging more and more, while water began dripping from his mirrors.

Hayate knew the signs; Haku was approaching chakra exhaustion and still wasn't letting up. Then Haku's image pitched forward in the mirrors, the mirrors themselves suddenly gushed water out onto the arena floor, and Haku fell into the water from the mirror he'd stepped into. From his position, Hayate could see clearly that Haku was unconscious and likely drowning. "Winner: Subaku no Gara!"

Much of Gaara's send had been caught in the downpour and swept into the arena ring, but Gaara still floated in mid-air, standing on what he had left, as he collected up the errant grains and pulled them out of the water. Seeing his prey out where he could finally reach it, a long arm of sand shot out at the unconscious Haku, even as Hayate ran on the water towards him. "The match is (cough) OVER!"

Suddenly, just as the sand was about to reach Haku, it parted, hesitant, as one of the Konoha jonin-sensei stood on the rocking water, still confined in the icy barriers Haku had frozen earlier. The jonin's eyes held Gaara transfixed as he stood with arm stretched to the side. In those eyes was somber determination, warning, and grief.

"There will be no more helpless opponents killed or crippled today," Gai spoke softly.

Gaara's sand made no further move, but Gaara's rage, if anything, intensified. "Why do you defend each other?!"

"Because I failed to act once today... And I will not see that failure repeated," Gai answered solemnly.

Gaara stared at the Konoha jonin for a few long moments, holding his head, before dropping his arms to the side. "Whatever..." he muttered, levitating himself up to the balcony, the rest of his sand following him through the air and reforming his gourd as he did. He found himself drawing grains of sand from all over the entire arena, now that he was able to devote the attention to tracking them down: in corners, between tiles in the floor, and even peoples' clothes.

_Must be a quality of water,_ Gaara thought to himself, shifting uncomfortably as he retrieved sand from inside his own clothes. _Sand gets in the damnedest places._

_End Chapter Nineteen_

-AN: Another chapter down, although this one needed more refining than others to get it to a point where I felt comfortable with people reading it. My earliest chapters, now, I am seeing them as rather... bad. I'm going to have to rewrite them because I think they are hurting my recruitment of new readership.

Thanks to all who have posted reviews! I've enjoyed writing this thus far and I'm sorry that it has been so long — relatively speaking — since I last updated. Hopefully nobody gave up on me in the meanwhile.

Little else to add, except a thanks to BTB and G. who have stuck with me since long about chapter eleven or so. I'm a frustrating person to pre-read for, I know. Thanks for putting up with me.

Next time: We wrap up the prelims, deal with some politics, and see the roots of the fall of Rome.

Ja mata.

-AXENOME


	22. Interlude: Mirror to the Soul

**Interlude: Mirror to the Soul**

"I am not angered that he has done so well in the Chunin Exam thus far. What I am angered by is the fact that he was permitted to participate in them at all," said Nara Shizuki.

"He is nothing like the others," complained Elder Linali. "He is strong; true. All the more so for the team on which he has been placed. His teammates challenge him physically and mentally, while granting him companionship; a companionship that has been sorely lacking in his life here in Konoha previously. He cannot experience bonds of loyalty without that companionship."

"His family, while they still lived, were also granted the companionship of others in this village. And with the sole — albeit quite significant — exception of one whose willingness to defend the village was paramount, his family still had no real loyalty to the village," retorted a woman from the far side of the room, a civilian elder from the Bishimon mercantile clan, Nikita.

"We all know how that ended, Councilor Nikita," Danzou interjected. "And we also know how he himself is different. As much from environment as from... other factors."

"He is too strong," announced an older man not far from Danzou's seat, a member of the Hyuuga clan by the name of Shinzashi. "Even my eyes can see that he knows his own strength too well already, especially since he has been teamed together with the Jinchuuriki and can still hold his own. He isn't trustworthy; any more than his brother was."

"This is NOT the time for reviving the Hyuuga-Uchiha vendetta," Linali snapped waspishly. "Your clan's pettiness at being in the shadow of the Uchiha's dojutsu is in part responsible for the loss of one of Konoha's most valued bloodlines. And Naruto's expression of both Byakugan and Sharingan is proof that your two respective clan's powers CAN coexist- not only in the same village, but even in the same body."

"That bastardized thing is the host of a monster and the descendant of traitors. His expression of the Byakugan makes it a certainty that he is related, at least remotely, to the Lost Ones of the Hyuuga clan. As such, by our contract with Konoha as one of the pre-eminent clans, he should have been killed the moment he showed the Byakugan," Shinzashi countered vehemently.

"Your entire trouble with the Lost Ones stemmed from the fact that a group of the Branch family decided to separate themselves from the Hyuuga clan rather than live as slaves," came the soft sounds of the voice of Koemi Temetatsu. His skin was wrinkled and almost gray, but his stature was that of a man whose years had not dimmed the power of his body. His features were leathery and tough rather than wilted and vulnerable, the way a man of ninety five years usually was. While soft, his voice carried no warble of age, and his reputation was as weighty as the hammer he habitually carried on his belt. "Your poor handling of their shaping is responsible for their broken edges; the crafting of any weapon requires a delicate touch, the more so when the materials are not as suited to the role you intend for them. But for all your clan's vaunted control and precision, your handling of men is as crude and ham-handed as ever."

"Oh shit. Someone woke the dragon," murmured a young man to Linali's right, her aide and, it was often rumored, her latest lover. Linali, for all her advanced years, was reputed to be a... vigorous woman, and quite as skilled as sixty years of practice at the feminine arts could make a former kunoichi. And supporting evidence showed that he never seemed to be far from her side, nor was his eye drawn to those of younger years and smoother features.

On the other hand, he may have been gay or merely completely asexual.

Linali's features did not move but a twinkle in her eyes denoted amusement at his commentary. "Much as I would enjoy you indulging your vaunted acerbic wit, Elder Koemi, I must respectfully request of Elder Hyuuga that we not rehash old and musty complaints that no longer have bearing on our current situation. Regardless of the past questionable loyalties of the Uchiha clan, the current situation is the professional progress of a powerful and valuable member of our village being called into question. Despite the misgivings of certain members of this Council, there has been no real evidence — even circumstantial evidence — to implicate the disloyalty of Uchiha Sasuke. If anything, he seems to be acquiring through osmosis the almost fanatical desire to protect the village expressed by his more disreputable yet undeniably powerful teammate, Uzumaki Naruto." Linali looked around the room, gauging the reactions of each of the voting members. Odds were almost certain that this entire idiotic matter would be settled if she called for a vote now. "I see no point in prolonging this discussion; nothing new has been added and no concrete evidence has been presented. I call for a vote for settlement. All in favor of halting Uchiha's progression and status as a Shinobi of Konoha...?"

Three hands were raised: Shinzashi, Shizuki, and Nikita. Their customary supporters looked uncomfortable but resolute.

"All opposed?"

The majority of the room raised hands, including a few of those who were Shi-Shi-Ni supporters, oddly enough. Regarding most matters where they did not agree, their supporters would simply abstain most of the time.

"Despite the overwhelming power of three advocates in favor, I see little need to actually tally those opposed. I somehow think they are more than adequate to the task of countermanding the vote," Linali said dryly, eliciting a wave of chuckles from around the room.

Shinzashi stood angrily. "I invoke the Privilege of Hyuuga against Uchiha Sasuke."

The chuckles from around the room ceased. There was a deathly silence in the council chamber as each of those present digested the words. Nobody had anything they could say. The Hyuuga clan, as the 'first among equals', had the right, no more than once per year, and no more than once in a lifetime for any single member of the Clan, to demand the death of a member of Konoha should they deem the member to be a threat to the village. Being that their eyes could see what no one else's could, they were at times deemed to supersede the legal system, to execute the spirit of the law rather than merely the letter. The Privilege hadn't been invoked in more than two decades, but it had hung there, in the back of everyone's minds, a sort of elephant in the corner nobody wished to speak of in the hopes that it would eventually go away. It figured that the elephant would begin trumpeting at the golden opportunity for the Hyuuga clan to eliminate their longtime rivals once and for all.

Temetatsu chose this moment to intervene as he stood up and hefted the twenty-five pound sledge on his belt like it was a pencil. "A tantrum, Hyuuga?" he said quietly, corded muscle flexing in his massive arms as his blond hair cascaded down over his shoulders. "Perhaps before this matter is resolved, we should see which would prevail; your Jyuuken or my lightning jutsu. After all, I am as justified in my distaste of you as you are in your dislike of Uchiha Sasuke. In fact, in light of your behavior, both in the past and today, I'd say I have a much firmer foundation for my opinion of you. How about it?" he prompted, his hammer held lightly between the ball of his thumb and the palm of his hand, fingers not yet curled about the handle. "Care to find out in the old ways which of us is right?"

"I do not fear you, old bastard!" snarled Shinzashi, his milky eyes still locked on the old weapon-smith's form. "You are not your father and never will you be!"

Something heavy displaced air rapidly next to Shinzashi's ear, and he staggered as the heavy sound of crushed masonry cracked loudly through the room. Lightning snapped past his face almost immediately afterwards, dazzling and deafening him temporarily. He staggered again as the wake of air went the other direction.

As he blinked the after image from his sight, Shinzashi looked on befuddled as his sight resolved into the image of Temetatsu standing, the hammer head crackling with residual electricity as it magnetically attached itself to the iron gray palm of the old smith's outstretched hand. The other members of the Council trembled somewhat as they looked at the shattered hole in the wall where the smith's hammer had struck almost too quickly to be seen.

Temetatsu hooked his hammer into his belt calmly. "To the members of this Council, I apologize for my rudeness. I hereby fine the Koemi clan for reparations to the wall of the council chamber as well as punitive damages in the sum of two hundred-fifty thousand ryo. Those reparations shall personally come from the purse of their Clan head, Temetatsu Koemi. All in favor?"

A wave of hands rose around the room, the reflexive response of a call to vote bypassing lesser impulses like intimidation and fear.

"All opposed."

No hands were raised.

"Motion carried." Temetatsu sighed, sitting down. "Shinzashi-sama, I apologize. Your words caught me by surprise and I acted in haste and indignation… an indignation that I have no right to feel. But I caution you to keep in mind the terms of the Privilege of the Hyuuga: that sentence must be carried out by a member of the main family of the Hyuuga Clan; and, should the exercise of the Privilege fail, no further motion may be taken in regards to this action. What say you?"

"It shall be executed according to the traditions," Shinzashi said with dignity. "I have already selected an appropriate member in my mind for the task, due to his familiarity with Uchiha Sasuke: my grand-nephew, Neji."

End Interlude

-AN: Next chapter is almost complete. I have yet to type it out. None the less, this little revelation shows a bit of the promised politicking. An omake and then sign-off.

Omake:

"I invoke the Right of Hyuuga against Uchiha Sasuke."

The words caused a stir of discomfort amongst those listening. "Which Rite was that?"

Shinzashi frowned. "It wasn't a Rite; it was a Right."

"Why is it a Right?" asked Linali curiously.

"It is a Right because it is our Due," replied Shinzashi.

"Where is it written?" demanded Linali. "A rule is not a law unless it is written; and thus cannot grant you a right."

"You don't write down a Right. That would instead make it a Rite," protested Shinzashi.

"Are you sure you have the right Right?" asked Temetatsu.

"What does the Right do?" asked Danzou.

"Due?" asked another council member who had just woken up.

"Not due; do. Pay attention," his neighbor scolded.

"I despise the notion of a Right. Wwrite the right down and make it a rite; else there's no way to see through your due of what the right Rite will do," said Linali finally.

"Ugh," groaned Shinzashi, face-palming. "I retract the request and ask the meeting be adjourned. My head hurts."

End Omake.

Ja mata.

-AXENOME


	23. Chapter Twenty: Political Fallout

-AN: The properly edited and beta'd version of chapter 20- thanks again, G!

Previously: The pride of the Hyuuga clan has taken a dreadful blow as Neji is crippled in his fight against the previously all but unknown Kabuto, while immediately thereafter in his loss, Haku manages the unthinkable in his own defeat, wounding Gaara. Naruto learns a little more about Haku's ultimate technique, and Konoha learns more about Naruto's newly developed dojutsu, while the remaining contestants prepare to step forward and do battle, competing for the right to become chunin. But the Pride of Takigakure prepares to rear its head...

**Chapter 20: Political Fallout**

Hayate coughed, grinding his teeth in frustration. _Every fight today has made such a mess._

The cleanup crew had spent ten minutes with minor fire jutsu to melt the ice barricades Haku had created, and another fifteen with wind jutsu blowing out the water that hadn't drained away. The clean up crew followed up with a point blank statement that they weren't coming back again today, and short of actually knocking down the tower, any further messes would wait until tomorrow.

Meanwhile, in the balcony, the tension was growing palpable. Only four genin remained, two from Takigakure, and two from Konoha. Traditionally, Takigakure and Konoha held the closest and most trusted alliance in all the Five Nations, a relationship partly due to the fact that Takigakure was a de facto vassal village to Konoha.

Konohagakure never took advantage of this relationship. In fact, in their dealings with one another Konoha traditionally treated Takigakure with the same deference and respect that they did Sunagakure, granting the sitting Hero the same treatment as they would any Kage whether the Hokage was visiting Taki or the Hero visiting Konoha. And yet, it was this very treatment that rankled Taki so heavily. The extra effort Konoha made to maintain the illusion that they were equal in Konoha's eyes… that was responsible for a deep-seated and growing resentment on the part of Takigakure. And now, in this Chunin exam, this resentment was beginning to show.

Takigakure was making a statement — whose first sentence had been the rough treatment of Uchiha Sasuke in the first match — that they were content to remain in Konoha's shadow no longer. They were determined that here, now, they would demonstrate that they, too, had strength; and though they were small, they would brook polite disregard no longer.

Their pride, however, was an inconvenient thing, especially at this point in history, although few of the real players were fully aware of just how much so. All of them, of course, realized this much; that in flinging this statement into the teeth of the most powerful of the hidden villages was a dangerous step in unbalancing the carefully measured distribution of power and caution across the continent.

In response to Takigakure's actions, Konoha had two alternatives, and only one of them was actually viable. First, they could graciously and condescendingly step aside and let them flex their muscles. This was no longer a possibility, not with any form of credibility, after the hospitalization of the scions of some of Konoha's most prestigious houses. Sasuke's hospitalization, as the last of the Uchiha, was bad enough; but the crippling of the Hyuuga heir set this statement as crisis. If Takigakure could put the three-way on Konoha after two of their most prized weapons had been forcibly put out of commission, whether temporarily or permanently, Konoha would lose tremendous face in the shinobi community. And this would have disastrous consequences for the shinobi world at large, due to Konoha's status.

The current climate of relative peace existed because Konoha was, by a large margin, the strongest of the shinobi villages. The truce existed almost entirely because the biggest and baddest player at the table wanted it that way. But the balance remained stable only if that power remained feared. Strength without the will to use it is wasted strength, directionless and ineffective, and a deterrent is feared only if it is demonstrated that the one with the biggest stick will use it as needed. Therefore, if so small and ineffective an entity (at least, on a national scale) as Takigakure could flaunt Konoha with impunity, the certainty of other hidden villages regarding Konoha's superiority would be cast into doubt. They might decide that, on the basis that if Konoha was either unwilling or unable to spare the relatively minimal resources needed to put Taki in its place, then Konoha's threat had lost its teeth. In effect, coddling Takigakure's bruised ego could very well reignite the Shinobi wars all over again.

Which, in turn, determined that the other alternative — still a bad one — yet remained the lesser of two evils: slap them down hard and fast and with no room for misinterpretation or exception. Make the statement that, 'yes, in fact, we are bigger and badder than you; and if you willingly reach out to poke us, you'll be pulling back a stump'.

And that is exactly what Gai-sensei and Asuma-sensei informed their students Rock Lee and Yamanaka Ino.

--

At first glance, an observer would think that, with two remaining Konoha genin and two remaining Takigakure genin, that there was a fifty-fifty chance of the last matches being village against village. That initial observation would be inaccurate and wrong.

Each of the two remaining villages had two genin left to choose from. Thus, once one of those genin is selected, he or she has three potential opponents remaining: one from his or her own village, and two from the other village. Still, it was twice as likely for that shinobi to be facing an opponent from the other village as it was for them to face one from their own village.

When looked at in this light, what happened was almost inevitable.

By the end of the day, tensions between allies had never been higher. Many outcomes balanced on a thread.

By the end of the day, one of these few remaining genin is almost murdered, and will require a number of weeks to recover.

By the end of the day, a straw begins to fall, a straw whose path does not end for almost a month. And the camel upon whose back it lands is a proud beast indeed.

--

The next fight is announced.

Koizuma Kaneda. Rock Lee.

Lee sighed in relief. There were two girls left, Ino and the female from Takigakure. Kaneda was a man's name, therefore, Lee was lucky enough not to be fighting a woman.

Rock Lee didn't care much for the idea of hitting a woman. Oh, sure, he had sparred with girls in the past, and Tenten was a tough chick to go toe to toe with, but he wasn't just sparring or even fighting now. Gai-sensei had been quite clear.

If he faced off against either of the genin from Takigakure, he had to make an example of them. Crush them mercilessly, or else humiliate them enough to force them to give up.

Lee was tempted to believe that Gai-sensei was still in shock over what had been done to Neji. He wanted to believe that Gai-sensei's grief made him want to lash out at something, anything, take blind revenge on anyone. But that wasn't like Gai-sensei. And Ino's face, looking back at him as he shot a glance at her, told him that she'd received the same instructions from her sensei, Asuma.

Lee landed in the middle of the floor, several feet from Hayate. Despite the extreme magnitude of weight he wore, the touchdown on the stones of the arena was almost feather-light. After standing from his crouch, the green-clad genin looked expectantly towards the stairs… and his face fell.

The girl from Takigakure was headed down the stairs to the arena floor.

Lee was speechless for the time it took for his opponent to reach the center where he and Hayate stood. She was his age- or no more than a year older, at the most- and slender, with shorts that showed off her well shaped legs, heavy leather gloves, and a thick shirt with heavily stitched pockets rather than the usual tool bag that most shinobi used. After a moment, Lee found a voice and used it, shocking himself awake from the pretty shinobi who stood before him. "I, uh… I thought that Kaneda was... a boy's name."

The Taki-nin's forehead popped an angry, bulging vein. "I'm not a woman!" snarled Kaneda, his voice a high tenor but still indisputably male. "Are you blind, you bowl-headed idiot?!"

Lee was too startled to notice the slur on his hair; his answering words were born of strictest honesty. "I would have to be blind _not_ to think you one; you don't look like a boy at all! You don't even have an Adam's apple!"

Kaneda drew a kunai, murder in his eyes, but Hayate's glare forestalled him, intimidating even with a cough like a death-rattle. Kaneda settled for saying, "I will carve out _your_ Adam's apple and wear it myself."

Lee stood straighter. "You will not have the chance. You will surrender now, or I will show you why I am known as Konoha's Handsome Blue Beast." He held out a hand in a ready stance.

Kaneda saw a chance to even the score. "Even if I _am_ prettier than most boys, I am not interested in your 'handsome beasts', or whatever you call them. Although," he added as if in afterthought, "wearing an outfit like that, I can certainly understand why your balls would be blue."

Lee's eyes grew even more round than normal, and in a whisper, he said, "Proctor, I am ready to start the fight."

Hayate looked back and forth between the two, before he said, "Begin!"

There was a snapping crackle of cloth, a mammoth impact of bone to bone contact, and Lee was standing where Kaneda had been, his backfist still extended. The Takigakure nin spun and tumbled backwards in a flopping motion similar to a puppet with its strings cut. Kaneda did not move as Hayate ran over to him.

And then Lee found himself standing staring down Kaneda's smirking face.

"Begin!" called out Hayate.

Lee blinked momentarily. _Had he zoned out_? Kaneda moved to throw his kunai, Lee darted forward faster than Kaneda could react. Lee's backfist sent the Taki genin tumbling backwards.

And Lee found himself standing staring into the smirking face of the Taki-nin.

"Begin!" called out Hayate.

Lee closed his eyes and began to speak.

--

"Begin!" Kaneda was already stepping to the side as Hayate spoke, and not even a moment too soon, as the backlash of displaced air rocked him. Lee was standing almost on top of Kaneda's original position. Lee's face registered a moment of surprise, and he lunged forward again, an almost identical backfist strike. Kaneda looked rattled; both attacks had been faster than he could even process, much less defend against. Hayate had dashed backwards, watching the two of them intently. Lee closed his eyes and said, "Genjutsu specialist."

Kaneda gulped visibly, but gathered himself together, as he pulled out a length of wire from a shirt pocket, wrapping it tightly around his gloves and moving to come around behind Lee.

Lee spoke again. "You would do well to surrender now. This is... your last chance."

Kaneda said nothing, moving in and raising his hands to bring the wire over Lee's head, when Lee suddenly shouted, "Kaimon! Kai!"

There was a loud cracking noise as Lee vanished, leaving smashed stone where he'd been standing. His voice rang out from above, where he stood upside down, attached to the ceiling. "Kyumon... Kai!"

--

The assembly of proctors and jonin-instructors looked on at the fight in shock. Then, almost in unison, those from Konoha turned their heads to aim a withering, accusing look in the direction of Maito Gai.

Kakashi was especially angry. He left Team Akachi's side and walked up to Gai, pulling him off to the side in a less than gentle fashion.

"Gai," he began, shaking slightly in his anger, "I recognize that they are your students. But I am _severely_ disappointed in you. Isn't one permanently crippled student enough?"

Gai flinched as though he'd been punched, but he rallied himself. His voice was soft and level in his response. "You don't know the first thing about Lee."

"I've substituted for you in the past with your team, Gai, and I'm aware of Lee's trouble with jutsu—"

"Trouble?" Gai said snidely, his eyes boring into Kakashi's with the force of a rockslide. "No. You know _nothing_. Do you know why he cannot use jutsu?"

Kakashi frowned. He hated being interrupted. "Enlighten me," he prompted coldly through clenched teeth.

"It is because Lee has virtually no ability to produce chakra whatsoever. Any chakra he produces is almost immediately absorbed by his tendon, muscle, and bone. It allows him to transcend normal flesh and blood limits... and cripples him as a ninja. Unless he has a means by which to work around it. The only time he produces enough free flowing chakra even to manage the tree-climbing exercise is by releasing the first Inner Gate. He wanted to defeat Neji... but that isn't the reason that I taught it to him, regardless of what I told him. If I hadn't taught him the Lotus, what would he do when he ran across a Genjutsu user… as he is now? I'll tell you what. He would _lose_. And likely die." Gai looked back at Lee, who upon releasing the 'second gate' was able to manifest the much needed pulse of chakra that would disrupt the genjutsu that had held him unable to effectively fight back until now. "Set against that certain death sentence, this was really not a difficult choice at all."

Lee released the flow of chakra to his feet. He had only started to drift downwards before he kicked out, shattering the ceiling tiles where he contacted and vanishing as rapidly as his original leap.

Where Lee touched down the floor shattered with a titanic booming. Shards of stone, dust, and debris flew upwards in a blinding cloud, and through the top of the expanding cloud flew the Takigakure genin, limp and unresponsive as his body rose in the air. Lee rose up behind him in a perfect Kagebuyo, unravelling his bandages as they ascended.

Gai's eyes widened, and he swore sulfurously. "Lee, _no_!"

--

Lee found his upward progress arrested as one of his bandages went taught, pinned to the Ram Seal statue, while Gai intercepted the falling Kaneda, supporting the Takigakure genin's neck. Kaneda's eyes were filled with tears of pain and terror. Gai set him down as gently and carefully as he could manage, but there was no hiding from anyone the boneless motion of the genin's neck. He was lucky to be alive at all. And if he was to stay that way, the medics would have to work fast.

The medics were forced to artificially manipulate his lungs and heart. With no signal from the autonomous nervous system, everything had simply... _stopped_. His heart did an uneven fluttering as the body's natural backups attempted to assert themselves, but the medic-nin were forced to keep him on artificial support until the damage could be repaired... _if_ it could be repaired at all.

--

"Lee." Gai's voice was carefully neutral.

Lee's head hung with shame and exhaustion and pain from the stress of the Lotus. "I have failed you, Gai-sensei."

Lee flinched as Gai's hand rose from his side, but the jonin only rested it on Lee's shoulder. "Do you know why I stopped you?"

Lee's uncertainty was apparent. "I..."

"Your first kick broke his neck," Gai answered. "Had you completed your maneuver, you would have killed him stone dead. And I know that you wouldn't have wanted that."

Lee's eyes filled with tears. "I'm sorry, Gai-sensei, I went too far—"

Gai's eyes were misty as well. "No, Lee. You gave him several chances but, in the end, you did exactly as you were ordered to do," Gai admonished. "You performed your mission exactly as you were required. As any splendid shinobi would."

Lee burst into tears and collapsed into Gai's chest. The jonin simply wrapped his arms around the genin, enduring the storm of his emotion. Lee's world — and Gai's own, for that matter — was a turbulent maelstrom of pride, fear, shame, embarrassment, joy, and many others, all competing for dominance. _The price of youth_, Gai told himself.

--

Mizuten Takumo stood in the balcony, his fists clenched tight enough that his fingernails were drawing blood. _Is this all that the pride of Takigakure can manage?_

In the second exam, the two teams from Takigakure had joined forces. They were as strong, as skilled, a group of genin as had ever been produced by Waterfall. They'd been lucky enough to draw opposing scrolls; meaning that they had a fifty percent force advantage over the one team in the exam guaranteed to have everything they would need to pass the second exam.

The second Taki team had been a tracking team, and track they did. They'd stayed hidden and on the trail of the four-man team from Konoha, watched for almost eighty-five hours as they learned how they operated, how they secured their perimeters, how they fought and attacked and defended. They had solid data on the three they'd been able to track down, and when their fourth had rejoined them they were ready to make their moves. They had initially assumed that he'd been picked off or separated early on. Probably the team's weakest member, they'd assumed. Back in the first exam, he'd been openly derided by all those who had been from his graduating class. And his outburst of violence early on, they'd taken as the barking of a small dog in fear; intimidating, but ultimately powerless in a real fight.

They'd seen the traps, keeping a sharp lookout in case they decided to mix them up... and then somehow, the one they'd assumed they could discount had somehow set off one of those damnable traps.

Thoughts and impressions and feelings whirled in Takumo's head. The Konoha genin had lived up to the terrifying reputation of their village. Konoha genin had comprised a little less than half the total registrants for the Chunin Exam, but more than two-thirds of the genin who had passed the second exam. And now, so far, only one Konoha genin had been eliminated by a genin from another village, and a second because she'd been, barely, caught cheating. Both had displayed impressive prowess even in their defeat, and now all that was left was another kunoichi from Konoha and himself.

He himself, out of the six entrants from Takigakure, was the only one not dead or hospitalized. His two teammates, who had survived the glass traps relatively unscathed, were now both hospitalized in critical condition. Of the other team, one was hospitalized with moderate blood loss, one blinded, and one dead. All at the hands of Konoha genin.

And now, if he lost, _shame_, defeated even by Konoha's women. Women had no place in fighting; Takumo firmly believed this. They had neither the temperament nor the strength to battle; few enough men did, for that matter. Yet, even if he won, shame still, for there would be those back home who would say he had won solely because he was fighting a woman. Even in victory he would be a laughing stock... unless he made it clear from the manner of her defeat that she'd been outclassed from the very beginning. Only if he destroyed her utterly…

That was the answer, then. This Konoha kunoichi (what a detestable concept!) would be the first order of vengeance for his fallen comrades at the hands of Takigakure's supposed allies. It would be a bloodbath and he would exact from Konoha payment for every comrade he'd lost.

That was it. Anger. Hatred. Vengeance. And that little trilling sensation in the pit of his stomach was excitement.

Not fear.

Certainly not fear of a woman.

--

The two remaining genin did not need their names posted on the board. As soon as Kaneda was strapped to the board and carried away, Ino and Takumo began their descent to the arena.

Ino noted the look of anger and contempt on the face of the Takigakure nin. Good. His contempt would lead him to underestimate her, while his anger would prevent him from thinking clearly.

And she was fairly certain that she could wreck any further thought processes with... _special talents_ of her own.

--

Hayate surveyed the arena with something akin to dismay. How many times had it, or portions of it, been destroyed today? Had to have been less than eight. But each time it was repaired, the kids had done a pretty solid job of destroying it again. Lee's fight had been pretty tame by comparison, in spite of the wide, shallow crater he'd made on landing before the kick that ended the fight. Probably because of all the weight the kid was wearing.

_At least this will be the last fight,_ Hayate thought to himself.

Ino was favoring her opponent with a sultry look. "Your teammate was the pretty one," she observed vampishly, "but I like my men a bit more rugged. Do you like to play... rough?"

If anything, Takumo's sneer grew. "This is exactly why women shouldn't be allowed in the ranks of ninja. If you can't control your hormones, you aren't fit to be a genin, much less a chuinin. Besides, a little girl like you…? I'd rather kill you than touch you."

Ino tossed her hair and gave him a superior little smirk. "Yeah, with a pretty thing like him on your team, I guess it makes sense that you'd rather touch little boys. Disgusting, but still it makes a sort of sense."

"I don't have to touch you to kill you," Takumo said. "Proctor, start the fight already. Her voice is giving me a headache."

Hayate coughed heavily into his fist before nodding. "No objections?" At the lack of response from the two genin facing off, he nodded. "Begin!"

--

Ino twisted her forearm slightly, and a kunai she'd stored in a docker's clutch sprung into her hand, where she launched it almost point blank into Takumo's face. Despite his surprise, his reflexes were plenty fast enough, and rather than the blade taking him in the eye it only drew a bloody line across his cheek and left ear.

Takumo sprang backwards, forming a short, rapid series of hand seals while inhaling deeply, then exhaling a stacatto barrage of wickedly fast water blasts, each roughly the size of a small watermelon. Ino dodged, now on the defensive, staggering a little as one blast clipped her hip, but her smirk never left her face nor did a limp show despite the massive bruise already forming.

"In a hurry, are you?" she taunted, back-flipping, her right hand slapping hard against the tile as she did. "Don't blow all your stamina in a quick rush. A girl likes a guy with a little endurance, not someone who ends up wiped out before she's even warmed up."

Takumo launched several more water blasts. The explosive note Ino had pasted to the floor detonated. The force of the explosion deflected the water bullets in a spray of droplets that doused the arena floor. "Don't you worry about that, you little harlot," he snarled. "I'll take your breath away."

"Ooo, that sounds promising!" retorted Ino, flinging several volleys of shuriken, the last few had explosive notes pasted onto them. He dodged them handily. "But to do that you need motivation, and my girlish looks just _can't_ be helping you." Ino tossed him a flirty wink and raised a kunai. "How about if I cut my hair short for you?"

And Ino cut off her ponytail, flinging it onto the floor between them.

Takumo gaped at her as her platinum blond hair, almost three feet of it, fluttered to the stone tiles, strewn across the shattered remnants on the outskirts of Lee's crater.

Ino was sweating, smiling at her opponent and panting. Everything was going wonderfully; the Takigakure nin was completely losing it. A little longer and she'd have him pinned and humiliated.

The only way it could be better was if it wasn't so damned humid in here.

--

Kakashi watched as Ino skillfully manipulated her opponent, playing to his obvious misogyny and gynophobia, using those traits against him in a masterful display of applied psychology.

He tossed a look in the direction of his occasionally apathetic appearing colleague, Asuma, and smiled under his mask. Asuma had managed to teach his team how to take advantage of their talents in the face of opposition, even a talent for seduction and aggravation in the middle of a fight.

Kakashi noticed that Ino was fatiguing rapidly. He didn't think it was her physical condition. As far as Kakashi could see — and in her outfit he could see _far_ more of the twelve year old girl than he was comfortable with — she was in excellent shape.

Ino made a particularly stinging comment about being more attractive to her opponent if he saw her from behind, so he could pretend she was a skinny boy. Takumo snapped; he charged at her angrily, only to be halted as he stepped onto a few strands of Ino's chakra-infused ponytail, which seized him and bound him tightly to the floor.

Ino smiled at Takumo dangerously, and gave a wet sounding cough, before saying, "Maybe you should... learn to control... that temper of yours." She said in short, gasping breaths.

Kakashi frowned. Ino's lips were turning blue.

--

The end of the fight was sudden. One moment, Takumo was trapped, Ino preparing to use her mind possession technique, and the next, she seemed to lose focus. Takumo was suddenly free, the flow of chakra through Ino's hair failing, and she fell to one knee, gasping like a fish out of water. She turned a puzzled look at the Taki genin, who formed two seals. Ino shuddered, water poured out of her mouth, and she fell face-first to the floor.

Hayate called out, "Medics!"

As the medic-nin rushed over, Hayate declared Takumo the winner.

One of the medics shouted, "She's drowning!"

There was a streak of red and black from the balcony, and Takumo was slammed into the arena wall. Naruto held him by the throat, his eyes glowing a feral red, his whisker birthmarks enhanced, and the grabbing hand clawed. Kubikiri Houcho rested across the rear of Naruto's shoulders, the dull side of the blade against the back of his neck and the razor sharp end of the blade poised at Takumo's neck just above Naruto's knuckles.

"Release it!" Naruto yelled.

"Oh, right." Takumo said with a smirk. "Did I forget to do that?"

Water poured out of Ino's mouth again; as the medics began CPR, one of them declared a pulse, and she was loaded onto a stretcher, two of the medics simultaneously trying to clear out the rest of the water and get oxygen back into her blood.

Hayate, Yamato, and Ibiki were now flanking Naruto. Ibiki spoke. "Uzumaki, you will release Mizuten-san or we will be forced to place you under arrest."

Naruto's voice was an angry growl. "He just tried to murder her after the fight was over!"

"He released the jutsu," Hayate said, drawing his sword. "You will release him _now_. The attack was initiated within the prescribed conditions of the match. The form for the exam that you signed clearly stated the possibility of death in the exam. I assure you that Ino's form was no different than yours."

Naruto spit in Takumo's face and threw him to the ground. As Takumo gingerly touched the bruises forming on his throat, Naruto said, "You'd better hope you lose before you fight me." Naruto's eyes were glowing a bright and deadly red. "You'd better hope _real_ hard."

Kakashi shunshined to Naruto's side. "I think it would be best if we just calmed down now, Naruto."

Naruto snorted. "I _am_ calm. If I _hadn't_ been calm, this kusotaregakure nin would be in two pieces on the floor. And I still think he's the one you should be threatening with arrest for trying to kill someone outside the boundaries of his fight, but since the proctors of this 'exam' have seen fit to take his side, I'll wait until the finals. Mark my words, if he and I step into the ring together, only one of us walks away."

The proctors stepped back, allowing Naruto and Kakashi to return to the balcony. The Takigakure jonin-sensei was arguing with the proctors before they had left the arena floor. "That kid attacked one of my students at the end of his fight, and you _let him go_? Is _this_ how you honor the treaty between our villages?"

Morino Ibiki turned to face the Taki jonin, and calmly said, "It looked to me like Uzumaki-san was merely giving him a friendly reminder to release his jutsu on the girl he'd beaten, since his fight was already over. I can attest to you from personal observation — as could a dead genin from Otogakure — that if he _was_ attacking your student, you would be taking home two students in critical condition and that one…" He jerked a thumb at Takumo. "…in a box. So obviously it wasn't an attack. Naruto doesn't hesitate to kill, if that is his intent. Being that your student is unharmed — if a little humiliated — Naruto had no intention at all of attacking him."

The instructor for the Takigakure team muttered something under his breath as he stalked off.

"That could have gone better," said Ibiki softly.

"But could it (cough) have gone worse?" asked Hayate rhetorically.

"One thing you learn," Ibiki replied wryly, pulling off his cap and rubbing his ruined scalp before pulling the headgear back on, "is that things can _always_ go worse."

--

Kakashi was exhausted. He'd performed a high-level sealing jutsu, several shunshin, and been under a great deal of stress, all the while maintaining a kage bunshin who was itself maintaining a henge. He hadn't used this much chakra at once since...

Well, it had been a while. Just a little bit longer...

He watched from the sidelines, his eyes burning and blurring, as his clone spoke. "Except for one last item, the preliminaries are over," spoke the 'Hokage'. "So now, we need you to step forward and take a number from this box."

The genin filed forward, one at a time. The spectators from before were gone now, leaving only those who had passed their matches, except Sasuke. According to a nurse who arrived half an hour ago, Sasuke had been cleansed of the blood-thinning agent, and would be kept overnight to ensure that there were no complications, even though none were expected, or even at all likely.

Fair enough.

After everyone had selected a number from the box, Naruto said, "I've got nine."

Tenten, "Three."

Temari: "Five."

Takumo: "Seven."

Gaara, "My number is two."

Kabuto: "Eight."

Lee: "I am number one! _Yosh_!"

Shikamaru: "Four."

The Hokage nodded. "Which, by default, gives Sasuke number six." He unrolled a scroll. It revealed a tournament chart whose numbers were replaced by the names of the genin holding them. The slips of paper in each of their hands crumbled into dust as their names appeared, save for Sasuke's which remained a number.

Gaara versus Lee. Tenten versus Shikamaru. Temari versus Sasuke. And Takumo would fight the winner of the match between Kabuto and Naruto.

Naruto and Gaara locked eyes. They wouldn't get to fight until the very last match.

"You'd better not lose before you face me," Naruto said with a grin.

Gaara snorted. "I'll kill you."

"You're welcome to try."

"Save it for the match boys," Ibiki said. "First things first."

"Indeed," said the Hokage. "You have all performed well today. You've fought grueling battles against one another, after five successive days of similar battles, with little sleep and likely as little food. Add to this that you have almost certainly shown your best moves, and you undoubtedly have little left to give. So we now give you a month; one month in which to train, grow strong, and prepare yourselves for the coming battles. When next we all gather, it will be under the watchful eyes of the most powerful men and women in our nations. So use this time wisely; for, I assure you, your opponents shall do the same."

And at that, the Hokage shunshined away, barely in time to vanish in a puff of smoke outside of anyone's field of view.

Kakashi collapsed in the stands and closed his eyes. _Finally_, time to take a nap.

End Chapter 20

**Translation:**

Kusotare- Literally _anus_, or the little hole at the end of one's colon. Therefore, kusotaregakure is a direct insult meaning, more or less, village hidden inside the(ir) asshole.

-AN: Well, I'm back after an exceedingly long absence. The only thing I can offer you is apologies for how long it's been and mention that I DO work in a grocery store- in other words, in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, there is absolutely NO time or energy to type after I finish shifts. If you don't like it, too fucking bad- if you can still hassle me after looking at that situation impartially, then you are likely one of the sorry, self righteous, mother loving butt monkeys I've had to deal with the last three weeks.

Now that I have gotten that off my chest, I will inform you all that I have a HUGE backlog of written work to transcribe on this story- after the end of this chapter I still have sixty pages. So pending my typing time- which will evaporate in approximately one and a half weeks as the Christmas Dinner people come in and start hassling me about 'why their Goose is so fatty' (That's what a Goose is like, now go buy a turkey like a person who is NOT stuck in the seventeenth century Dicken's stories) or why their chestnuts that they roasted in a fireplace burnt down their house (Cut an 'x' clean through the shell, so the steam can escape or yes, one of those little fuckers IS going to explode in a ball of high calorie, flamable fragments).

God, I hate the Holidays. It turns me into something less than human- Bing Crosby and the rest of you carol-singing shriffs from the forties and fifties can go drown yourselves please. Oh wait, you're all pretty much dead now from gin and tobacco. Why the fuck every store feels the need to endlessly replay ninety-fucking-nine different version of the same six Christmas songs is a mystery I'll never understand, and I curse the day my manager told me I had to remove the earplugs so I could hear what Mr. and Mrs. Complainsalot have to say about their prepackaged mistletoe making their dog sick after he ate it (Yes, your romantic little decoration is poisonous if eaten; do NOT let it fall into the gravy and then throw it on the floor).

HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE. If there is anyone on earth who has the right to hate Christmas it is we who work in retail. Rant out.

On the topic of Mizuten Takumo, yes, he's a first class jerk and a misogynist. No, I do not subscribe to anything he believes, as should be apparent from what I've written in the past... but I refuse to betray my vision of the story by portraying anything in a candy coated or idealist fashion. Utter honesty from my own viewpoint is all I can depict, and I hope you forgive me for forcing myself to write what I see out of his eyes; I feel dirty about it still. But to not do so would be somehow worse for me.

At some point in the future, I will look at this and cringe because I know the time of year has severely altered my emotional state and I could probably use professional help or at least a hug. But as I only have the story right now to comfort myself, I will use it as violent catharsis, and take comfort that, after this chapter, it will be a little while before any really gory stuff happens. I'd like to focus on something other than violence right now.

Alright. If you want to contact me, you can leave a review, or PM me. I will do my best to respond to either. I appreciate your readership, and beg your forgiveness for my venting; I'm just really tired and unhappy right now and I want to see some of my family during a season which is supposed to be family-centric, but leaves _me_ no time to celebrate them.

**Preview Chapter 21: **

_Hiashi took a scroll from the corner of his desk and, after looking at it for a moment, handed it to Hinata. The scroll was unsealed, but tied closed. Hinata looked at it, then at her father, before looking back at the scroll. Slowly, she unfurled the scroll with trembling hands. Her eyes scanned the first words on the page, widened as she read a few more lines, then filled with tears. _

_She dropped the scroll and jumped up. Pens, papers, scrolls, and various knick-knackery, along with Hiashi's favorite lamp, flew off the desk in disarray as she flung herself across it, wrapping her arms around her father and crying, interspersing her sobs with 'otousan' and 'arigatou'._

_Hiashi's distress at the disorderly disaster made of his desk was pronounced; he still managed gentleness as he set her down. "Daughter, compose yourself! We have a great deal to discuss yet, and this must serve to soften the blow for what is yet to come." _

End Preview.

Ja mata.

-AXENOME


	24. Chapter Twenty One: Learning

The properly beta'd version of chapter 21.

_Previously: The preliminaries to the Chunin Exam finals have finally come to an end, and the violence has been great and terrible. Now, as the winners take their leave and begin their preparations, Konoha's rookie Ten, now nine, come to grips with everything that has been wrought... _

**Chapter 21: Learning**

The Hospital was a jumbled platter of nurses, doctors, orderlies, medic nin, and patients, liberally sprinkled with ANBU and well shaken.

This was disaster. Sasuke had been discovered. Nobody was being allowed into or out of the building, ANBU were checking and rechecking the identities of medical staff, patients, and each other. Everything was a semi-organized and carefully orchestrated mess.

And the worst part of it all was that everything — the entire security protocol dance — was completely pointless. They knew who: Orochimaru. They knew what: the infliction of the curse mark. When: about ten minutes after Sasuke was escorted to his room from toxicology. Where: in the aforementioned room, practically under the nose of one of the more talented members of ANBU hospital security, who was himself being interrogated even now by Morino Ibiki himself.

The why and how were less clear, but currently only of academic importance for the time being. Lockdown procedures were in place, security checkpoints were established, and entire pages of phrases, counter-phrases, and passwords were recited and examined.

All pointless. The patients and staff checked out, ANBU hadn't been infiltrated, and Orochimaru was gone.

The effort was not exactly wasted; sort of a live ammo exercise in their reactive procedures, allowing for a safe execution of lockdown without anything actually being at risk. Even so, every so often one of those involved would absently reflect on the futility of their attempts. Even if it was all executed perfectly, they would still come up empty, and not even the most awful fumble was likely to make things any worse.

And so, even though they were throwing everything they had into it, there was still the nagging feeling that they were just going through the motions.

--

"Will he be alright?"

"No worse than you, I think," said Kakashi. "Kurenai is an accomplished seal mistress, as much so as I am. And Sasuke, while he doesn't have your inborn healing ability, seems to be naturally resistant to the energies of the mark. Or, at least in some fashion, able to adapt to it, even to the degree that he could probably live through it without sealing it at all... for a while, at any rate."

The door opened, and Naruto and Kakashi looked up. Shikamaru was still napping in the hospital waiting room chair. Some habits, it seemed, could not be easily done away with. As long as Shikamaru wasn't actively doing anything — which was, admittedly, a rare occurrence of late — he would fall asleep at the drop of a hat.

Naruto nudged his teammate in the ribs, who opened a bleary eye in response. It was always a fascinating thing to watch Shikamaru wake up. Despite the inherent laziness of his demeanor, he passed no intermediary stages between asleep and fully alert. The eye took in their immediate surroundings (relatively empty save for the three of them and the orderly at the door), Naruto's posture and state of mind (relaxed and calm), and subsequently the general posture and position of everyone else in the room. Finding everything to be in order, Shikamaru raised a questioning eyebrow in Naruto's direction before puzzling out who the new arrival must be, and opening the other eye to look at the medical worker.

The whole process took somewhat less than a full second; one reason Naruto loved watching it was because it was all processed so quickly. Naruto was no dummy, but Shikamaru was just plain fast, brilliantly so.

The nurse at the door cleared his throat, and said, "Nara-san, Kakashi-sempai, the doctor has stated that Uchiha Sasuke has been attended to by Kurenai-san. As to Mamochi Haku, his wounds are negligible. He is currently only suffering from a moderate case of chakra exhaustion. He will be fine with another day or so of rest."

Kakashi was still clearly tired for some reason; Naruto hadn't inquired as to why. This fatigue was probably the reason behind Kakashi's uncharacteristic lack of subtlety as he stood up and placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "When will we be able to visit them?" he asked.

The nurse looked at the three shinobi with obvious discomfort. Naruto was suddenly flanked in supporting positions by both of his companions, both of whom were directing focused and not entirely amiable looks of accusation at the hospital staff worker. Naruto himself was not offended by the staff worker's unease; he was used to it. He was, however, slightly uncomfortable, partly due to the unfamiliar feeling of people unhesitatingly and unreservedly sticking up for him, and partly by the close proximity of both of those advocates, far closer than he was used to or wanted, especially from guys.

The nurse looked from face to face between the three before biting his lower lip. He suddenly could not meet their gazes. "Doctor Akimichi has cleared Nara-san and Hatake-san, but Uzumaki-san has been requested to instead report to him."

The three shinobi exchanged uncertain glances. Their initial impression was that Naruto was to be excluded, not that the doctor needed a consultation with him. And why would a doctor need Naruto in the first place? After a moment, Naruto shrugged. "Guess I'll go see what he wants."

--

The nurse escorted Naruto down the hallway to a flight of stairs. They went up two floors, took a hallway past a number of examination rooms, and went through a set of doors which read 'Outpatient'.

The nurse seemed apprehensive. Naruto said, "Hey, I'm not gonna hurt you. No need for panic." The nurse halted so suddenly, Naruto found himself taking an extra step or two past him, before he stopped himself and turned to face the escort. "What?"

The nurse frowned at him. "I'm not worried about you hurting me," he said waspishly, and a faint touch of anger crossed his face. "I'm worried about you giving false hope to people who've been let down far too often. Bad enough someone should have to suffer from an eventually fatal illness, but to raise their hopes one more time before they come crashing down? You are as cruel as the thing that hides inside of you."

Naruto blinked. "W-what?"

The nurse glared at him, before gesturing to the door. "That's the room. The doctor and the patient are inside. Goodbye." The nurse turned and walked stiffly off down the hallway.

Naruto blinked again, before he set his hand on the handle of the door and opened it slowly.

Naruto understood immediately as soon as his mind processed everyone in the room. There were two doctors, one of whom was a very large framed man. Next to the exam table, there stood an anxious looking woman grasping the hand of the man seated on the table- Gekko Hayate.

The doctor with the large frame smiled, and as he did, it struck Naruto how much the man resembled Choji. "Hello, Uzumaki-san. My name is Akimichi Katsuo. I'm a specialist in chakra-related illnesses, and a chonin level medic-nin; although while I'm on duty here I'm simply Doctor Akimichi. This is my colleague Doctor Ono, Uzuki Yuugao, and you've already met Hayate-san. I imagine you've already guessed why we've called you here today."

Naruto nodded. "The tumor, right?"

The doctor nodded in return. "My patient tells me that your kekkei genkai can tell you exactly where it is?"

Naruto frowned and nodded assent. "But don't you already have Hyuuga who can help you with that?"

Doctor Akimichi turned his eyes over to Hayate, who sat watching Naruto carefully, as though afraid to believe in what was really happening. Yuugao, however, was instead infused with a mixture of excitement and hope. Her free hand, the one that wasn't holding Hayate's, twined and twisted in her yukata, a fairly fancy one for just a hospital visit, Naruto noted absently to himself.

**PERHAPS SHE HAS SOMETHING TO CELEBRATE. PERHAPS YOU ARE THE REASON SHE IS CELEBRATING… OR RATHER, WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR HER MATE,** the Kyuubii noted.

Naruto grunted; the Kyuubii's interjection distracted him from what the doctor was saying. "I'm sorry, Doctor, could you repeat that?"

The doctor smiled. "Of course. As I mentioned before, I'm a specialist in chakra related illnesses. Gekko-san here has a rare form of cancer, a type which is commonly referred to as a CRC, which is short for Chakra Reactant Carcinoma. Some of these cancers are relatively benign; others are highly malignant. Gakko-san likely has a more benign version, as it was discovered several months ago and he is still alive; some forms of CRC can kill within a matter of weeks. All CRC's have several traits in common. First off, the patient must be very cautious with his use of any chakra, as the cancer will siphon off a portion of that chakra and use it to grow, almost invariably in severe and unpredictable ways. Likewise, he may _not_ be the recipient of any form of medical jutsu, as the chakra influx into his body will be almost immediately absorbed by the tumor and will trigger its growth. This, of course, makes them inoperable by normal means."

The doctor's face became grave, as he went on. "The second thing most CRC's have in common is that Byakugan and most similar dojutsu are inherently incapable of seeing them. Their presence creates a haze through which chakra reactive sight cannot see; and chakra analysis is useless on even standard injuries, not just the tumor itself. In short, Uzumaki-san, if you are capable of seeing the location and size of the tumor, then you are likely the only person in the world who can."

Naruto activated his Kamigan. The occupants of the room seemed intrigued by the blackness of his eyes, but Naruto ignored their reactions. "Yeah, I can see it. It's, Hmmm..." He took a few steps forward, tapping a spot just to the left of Hayate's breastbone. "Right about here, but an inch or so in, at the branching part of his lungs, um, on the bottom, kind of sticking through the wall of it and into the baggy part around his heart. It isn't touching the heart itself, though." Naruto frowned and looked at the doctor. "It's about an inch or two wide and roughly roundish, like a stretched out ball, but a little lumpy. None of the flesh around it is anything like it. But I don't understand. If you can't use chakra or jutsu to get it out, what _can_ you do?"

The man that Doctor Akimichi called Ono sprang up, and ran for the door, shouting for a nurse to fetch several orderlies and a gurney. Doctor Akimichi said, "That is why we have Doctor Ono in the room. He is a surgeon, and we'll get that monstrosity out of Hayate-san the old fashioned way. We'll cut it out. I want you to go into the operating room with the doctor. You've got a good head for describing the location of things, and you will make exploratory surgery unnecessary. You've drastically increased Hayate-san's chances of survival. In fact, I might even say that you have, almost single-handedly, saved his life. If that's all there is to the tumor..?"

Naruto nodded. "That's the only thing like it in his body that I can see."

Hayate and Yuugao both burst into tears and hugged each other, even as the door opened and the nurse from before arrived with a gurney and two husky men. Doctor Akimichi handed Naruto a set of scrubs and directed him to the sink. "Put that on, and wash your hands up to your elbows, quickly and thoroughly. I want that water as hot as you can stand it. Then put on a set of gloves and go with them. Be as accurate as you can be when you describe the location and the size of the tumor; the less damage the surgeon can inflict on his way in, the faster Hayate-san can recover from surgery and the more likely that he will live through it. Go. Now."

--

Sasuke was gaping at Kakashi in disbelief. It was two days after the first time that Team Akachi had been allowed to see him, but Naruto hadn't come by yet, not even once. When Sasuke asked Kakashi why, Kakashi answered him; and all Sasuke could do was stare in response. After a few seconds, he managed to reconnect the circuits from his brain to his mouth. "He wants to do _what_?"

Shikamaru was thoughtful. "Actually, it might be a pretty good thing, to have a medic-nin as Hokage."

Sasuke, in his hospital bed, and Kakashi, leaning against the doorframe, both looked with raised eyebrows over at Shikamaru where he sat. Shikamaru, seeing their reaction, just gave a chuckle. "Oh, come on. He's going to get there, probably in the next decade. If not the Godaime, he'll be the Rokudaime; although that probably depends on when Sarutobi-sama decides to step down a second time."

Kakashi looked to the ceiling, as though in thought, doing his best not to show how Shikamaru's words had struck him. Internally, he began thinking about the Sandaime's pipe; he didn't notice the taste so much any more, and he had to admit, it _did_ calm his nerves, especially after having to deal with everything that the Hokage dealt with day in, day out. Out loud, Kakashi said, "Although any other genin I would advise to hold off on these studies and train fighting instead, given that the Chuinin Exam finals are coming up, Naruto might actually benefit more in the upcoming exam by learning the medic-nin trade. For a ninja with his degree of talent and power, he could only benefit from a more detailed understanding of the human body."

Sasuke seemed to bristle at this for a moment, until Kakashi added, "And with his temperament, it is probably best that he gains that understanding in an atmosphere whose intent is to heal, rather than to harm. Because, for all his ability in the art of violence, Sasuke, you are far better suited to handling it in your own life and background, ne?"

Sasuke snorted, but Kakashi could see that his words had their desired effect. Kakashi continued with a shrug, "At any rate, I would not have the time to train him personally, as I will be too busy."

It was Shikamaru's turn to raise an eyebrow. "With what?"

"Training Sasuke," Kakashi replied. "But don't worry, Shikamaru. I've arranged for you to have a tutor of your own, who is in every way as capable as I am, and, given his abilities, is much more suited to your style of fighting than I would be."

"Really?" Shikamaru asked with a slight frown. "Does he play shogi?"

"I'm not sure. I've never really asked him. But he's not a straight-forward combat type... so when he does confront an opponent, he prefers to analyze them and understand their motives, what makes them tick, then figure out how to use his own skills and the terrain around him to their best effect. He's very good at it."

Shikamaru mulled this over before finally giving an approving nod. "Sounds promising," he said. "What's his name?"

Kakashi gave a smile that only showed in his one visible eye, as he replied, "His name is Pakkun."

--

Off on the far side of Konoha, Choji was wandering, lost in his thoughts. Naruto had been walking wounded, the whole time. According to Shikamaru, he'd already received his injury the first day of the exam — some kind of a chakra mark — and had carried the injury for five days before the preliminaries to the Chunin Exam finals. Yet even with this injury, Naruto had beaten him with relative ease before the injury finally overcame him.

True, Naruto was one of the most mysterious and powerful of the genin currently in Konoha. But... he'd been all but incapacitated, fighting without his signature weapon... And Choji had fought his best and hardest.

Still, Naruto had beaten him hands down, without even having to really hurt Choji in the process.

("_If there's anybody here in the preliminary who can take on Naruto and win... it's you._")

Did his loss mean that there was really nobody in the exams who could beat Naruto?

("_Choji, man, have you ever known me to lie to you?_")

Did it mean that Shikamaru had lied to him?

("_Remember what I told you._")

Or did it mean that Choji hadn't really believed enough... in himself?

("_You're the only person strong enough to go toe to toe with him and win._")

Strong enough...

At least, Choji discovered, he was no longer afraid of the Blond Terror of Team Akachi. Intimidated by, in awe of, envious... yes. But... no longer afraid.

He pulled up short. Ahead of him, outside the walls of a women's bathhouse, crouched a tall, powerfully built man with face paint that could not hide his age, not with the beginnings of the sag of his cheeks nor the color of his long, spiked white hair. He wore geta shoes- _How long has it been since THOSE were in style?_ Choji wondered.

The man was peeping through a hole in the fence and giggling with a perverted smile, while furiously scribbling in a notebook.

Choji frowned uncertainly. "Um..." he began, "I don't... think you should be doing that."

In the years to come, Choji more than once wondered what would have happened had he simply turned around and walked away. Occasionally he would wish he had; more often he was grateful he didn't.

But one sentiment remained constant in the years to come: had he just walked away, it would have saved him an AWFUL lot of grief.

--

"It's incredible," said a medic-nin. "I mean, it's one thing to hear about it, but to actually _see_ it."

"It's fascinating. I don't understand it, but it's fascinating," agreed another. "If he can get enough practice in, he'll have a level of chakra control unmatched by any normal human."

The topic of their conversation was sleeping on a diagram on the floor. Glyphs and chakra circuits surrounded him in an incredibly complex pattern. The circuits and seals channeled the information being gathered about Naruto's body and displayed in a three-dimensional force-field genjutsu, slowly rotating so that the various observers in the room could get a comprehensive view from all sides. Right now, the force-field genjutsu was displaying Naruto's keirakukei.

Several of these observers were not medical staff at all; most notably, Yamato, Maito Gai, Mitarashi Anko, and Hatake Kakashi. Anko admitted, "I'm not even entirely certain of what I'm seeing." She studied the tangled and interwoven lines where, according to all the scrolls she had ever read on the subject, there should be a single path.

"As near as I can tell," said Hyuuga Natsume as she traced the redundant pathways in the force-field genjutsu display, "it seems that his keirakukei have been reinforced, not just multiplied. They appear capable of handling a higher chakra load than any keirakukei network I've ever heard of; and they seem to have an intersecting tertiary redundancy. I won't know more until and unless we can get Hiashi-sama to seal off his tenketsu, but from the network flow I believe attempting to overload his chakra pathways — or even blocking the tenketsu, for that matter — would be an exercise in futility. We already knew the Kyuubi's chakra heals him, but this appears to be designed to not only heal his wounds but to repair any obstructions in the pathways themselves. One would need to strike _all_ tenketsu in a section to cut off flow from all possible currents at the same time, or else the chakra would simply flow around the blockage and clear the interruption from other circuits almost immediately. Since the curse mark propagates itself through the keirakukei, it's a miracle that Kakashi-san was able to seal it off at all."

"It works because I do not fight the mark; I force it to fight itself," Kakashi said. "A foe's strength is often best and most effectively used against himself."

"What did you mean by what you said earlier, about higher levels of chakra control?" asked Gai.

"Once he learns to differentiate and decide which chakra pathways he uses, he can subdivide it as it flows down his keirakukei until the exact amount he needs is flowing along each pathway," Natsume answered. "And in sealing, there are a series of techniques where parallel pathways can be laid out so that, when charged with chakra, they create a wave form interference with one another which can effectively magnify the precision with which chakra is applied. In his case, he could learn to set up the wave form interference within his own body, something that nobody with normal chakra pathways could do. I wonder if it's hereditary."

"It likely is," Yamato murmured softly. "They have always liked to create new species; a difficult thing to do if the traits cannot be passed on."

"So, you think Naruto is no longer human?" Anko inquired in an equally quiet tone.

"No. They didn't take woman to alter. They'll ensure he can breed with his ancestral stock," Yamato replied.

A voice from the door interjected, "Teach him the art of one-handed seals."

All of their eyes turned towards the doorway, where Nara Shikaku stood, leaning idly against the frame. "Where did you come from?"

"The Hokage," Shikaku answered. Something in his voice made Kakashi's eyes narrow slightly. "I would have said something earlier, but it was more interesting to listen to you guys. At any rate, that's not what I'm here for." He held up an envelope; the outside of it was labeled Uzumaki Naruto. "Your patient has a mission, signed by the Hokage: to back up Team Eight on a mission they are being dispatched on. Mission will be co-led by Ebisu Saboro and Yuuhi Kurenai."

Kakashi grunted. Asuma was pulling Hokage duty today; he knew his father's administrative style better than any other member of the Nine. The use of Team Eight so shortly after the loss of one of its members was a telling choice. They needed someone found... but the inclusion of Naruto suggested that he felt the team might need muscle with them. _And why Ebisu? He's an elite instructor, but only slightly above average when it comes to field operations — much of the reason he's classified as special jonin. Most of the time he's teaching Asuma's illegitimate kid, Konohamaru. So why this? What is Asuma thinking?_

"What's the mission?" asked Kakashi.

"Hey, hey, what makes you think I'd know?" protested Shikaku.

Kakashi's complete lack of response was more eloquent than any facial expression of annoyance.

"Fine, fine. You remember the little tussle between Hyuuga Neji and that medic kid in the preliminaries?"

"You act like you personally saw it," Anko said acerbicly.

"Saw the replay on the cameras," Shikaku smirked. "And stuff a sock in it."

"Fuck you," Anko retorted.

"Married, hon, so I'm not eligible. Besides, I'm not into pain." He didn't respond to her indignant squawk. "Anyhow, Hyuuga Hiashi is demanding that every effort be made to track down and bring back the Sannin Tsunade. Team Eight isn't necessarily expected to be able to bring her back on the official records, of course, but they are the only fully trained tracking team we have that isn't out on mission. And it will be excellent on the job training for them. However, our intelligence indicates that Kumogakure has been operating very heavily in some of the projected places which Tsunade-hime has been known to travel, and given the grudge against the Hyuuga clan that Kumo has, it puts Hinata at very high risk. In a situation like this, the Hyuuga heir would ordinarily have their personal bodyguard accompany them; but since Neji is the reason for this mission in the first place, Hiashi-sama has found a replacement. Possibly a permanent one..."

That made an impact on all of those present, but none more so than on Hyuuga Natsume. She knew full well what this meant, for Hinata's future and Naruto's alike.

Kakashi asked, "But what if the mission runs past the Chunin Exam finals?"

Shikaku's eyes were full of speculation and curiosity in equal measures. "He said that if the mission runs past the deadline for the Chunin Exam finals, and Uzumaki-san is successful in bringing back the Hyuuga heiress safely, he will personally endorse Naruto's _ad hoc_ promotion to chunin."

Kakashi's eye widened in surprise, and Anko let out a low whistle. "What caused that change of heart?" Kurenai wondered, seeming almost offended by the news. "Hiashi has always insisted that Naruto should have been kept sedated like any other jinchuuriki; or killed, if it could be proven that the Kyuubii would die with him. What could have changed his mind so drastically?"

Shikaku's grin was as sudden as it was gleeful. "Hinata yelled at him. Not sure if it was the fact that she forced him to see Naruto had risked his life to protect her and her teammates against Orochimaru, or simply that under Naruto's influence Hinata finally stood up to him. Whatever the reason, Hiashi has effected a complete reversal of his prior policy regarding Naruto. Apparently, his logic is that anyone who can hold off a Sannin, even for only a few minutes, is suitable as a guardian for the Hyuuga heir."

The pieces fell into place for Kakashi. "Hiashi plans on making it permanent. And he thinks that with Naruto along, the mission will succeed."

Shikaku shrugged. "Well, Naruto is the major unknown factor here, with his unfamiliar bloodlines, but the team has a good mix of skills for the mission, and they're almost perfect for dealing with Tsunade's psych profile. Shino prefers to be silent and in the background, supporting; Ebisu is so congenial as to be almost obsequious; Hinata is gaining confidence as a person _and_ as a ninja; and Kurenai…" Shikaku raised an eyebrow at her as he said her name, "…can charm damn near anyone when she decides to. The boys will remain more or less in the background for this one while the girls take the lead. According to Tsunade's personality profile, this will make a far better impression on her than any other formation we could think of. Save perhaps leaving off Naruto, but Hiashi wouldn't hear of it, and in all fairness, he _does_ have a point. Naruto doesn't have the knowledge and experience of a jonin; but, short of one, I don't think we could add a more powerful single member to their team."

Anko frowned. "I think you'll be repeating all of this when Naruto wakes up."

"I wasn't asleep."

Everyone in the room shot a look over at Naruto, whose body lay in perfect relaxation, breathing even and slow. Even his blood pressure and chakra regulation still registered absolute rest. His lips move again as he said, "I don't really need much in the way of sleep anymore. So I can remain alert and ready to move while I let my body rest."

"According to what I'm seeing here," Natsume said, "you _have_ been asleep. Or at least, part of your brain is. I think your brain is sleeping in partitions, one part at a time."

"Oh." Naruto didn't seem particularly impressed by this information. "Do the others know about the mission yet?"

"Hey, wait a second," protested Anko. "You mean you were listening in the whole time? That takes all the fun out of talking about you behind your back."

"We need to stay on topic," Naruto said. "We have a mission to discuss, and I have a few questions to ask about this Tsunade woman. Does she not like guys or something?"

Shikaku shook his head, momentarily forgetting that Naruto, with his eyes closed, couldn't see him. "Tsunade-hime, not like guys? Well, she's a bit of a strange one. I don't know personally if she doesn't like guys or not, but it's a pretty well documented fact that she hates perverts. Another reason that Kurenai-san will likely be glad you're going along, since according to her, you're about as close to frigid as she's ever seen any male get." Anko started laughing uncontrollably as Kurenai blushed a deep crimson, a vein popping out on her forehead as she glared at Shikaku. Shikaku ignored the look as he continued, "In fact, according to her, she thinks you might be a eunuch."

Anko was laughing uproariously now, while the other members of the room looked on in varying degrees of mortification. Kurenai's look promised violence in Shikaku's future.

Naruto's voice registered puzzlement. "What's a eunuch?"

--

Hyuuga Hinata watched as the door to Neji's hospital room opened and Hiashi — her father — walked out. Her father's impassive face showed no emotion, no trace of his thoughts, and yet, Hinata could sense the turmoil, somehow. Pain, sadness, regret, and even anger, she could sense them in him.

After a moment, as she watched her father stand motionless outside the door to her cousin's room, Hinata chose to speak. "Father, I—"

Hiashi raised a hand, interrupting her. "Hinata... chan." Hinata gasped. Her father had not addressed her as '-chan' for as long as she could remember. "Now is... not the time."

Hiashi turned and began walking, and Hinata walked beside him, matching his pace and his bearing. For the first time in her life, she felt like she _belonged_ next to him: the great Hiashi, head of the Hyuuga clan, and his daughter, the Heiress apparent. Their walk home to the Hyuuga compound was quiet.

Finally, they reached the compound, entered the main building, gone to his study. Hiashi closed the door behind them, while Hinata sat in one of the visitor chairs.

Hiashi took his own chair. Hinata chose this moment to ask. "Father, what were you talking to Neji about?"

"My brother," Hiashi said softly. "I told him the truth of what happened, when Kumogakure demanded my corpse."

Hinata knew of this. She'd been involved in the incident, at least peripherally, as it was during an attempt to kidnap her that Kumo's Raikage was caught and killed. The chain reaction had nearly started a war, only narrowly averted by her uncle offering himself in Hiashi's place. She'd learned of it later but had been cautioned not to bring the incident up to her cousin, as his emotional state was considered fractious and unpredictable. Better that he cooled off before he was told, the clan elders had said. Yet somehow, Neji never seemed to let go of his pain. "How did he take it?" she asked.

Hiashi sighed. "He refused to believe me. Said that I was merely attempting to placate him."

"Why did you chose to tell him now, father?" Hinata asked.

Hiashi shook his head. "Because I wanted him to understand that I didn't want him to live the rest of his life crippled. Not because he is the greatest potential weapon our house has, but because I owe him… I owe my brother… this much. And Neji... is all I have left of my brother, now."

Hinata blinked, somewhat surprised. This was a side of her father that she'd never seen before.

Hiashi took a deep breath. "Hinata. You are the Hyuuga heiress. For a time, I had despaired of you ever being ready to take up the mantle of clan leadership. You knew our techniques; your academic knowledge was adequate; yet you lacked confidence. You lacked drive, ambition, and determination. But I have seen a difference in you. I first began to notice it after your joint mission between Teams Seven and Eight. Anko-sensei informed me of your performance in combat; that even after injury, you pressed forward, continued to fight and refused to pause for more than cursory medical attention. Make note, I find that to be reckless and stupid; you are the clan heiress, and are not to take such risks as refusing medical attention unnecessarily.

"Yet, I admit to feeling a certain sense of pride in your fire, your determination to complete that mission. There will be times that such a decision will be needed, even vital; and when they occur you must be willing to make that decision… as you have already demonstrated that you are. But you must also learn to discern _when_ it is necessary and which missions are so vital."

Hinata nodded. Hiashi continued. "You displayed your ferocity to me only a few days ago. When I spoke disparagingly about the Uzumaki boy in your presence, you not only contradicted me but actually yelled at me. You pointed out that you — and the House of Hyuuga as a whole — owed Naruto a debt of blood for saving your life, quite nearly at the cost of his own. And when I was forced to see I had been in error, I thought back to your prior infatuation with Naruto… Yes, I have been aware of it." Hiashi made no acknowledgement of Hinata's blush as he went on, "I had initially intended to ignore it as a passing phase. When it did not abate, I made my feelings about the boy known to you, expecting you to act accordingly. Never once did I forbid you from seeing him or associating with him, as I had assumed that your station would make him keep his distance."

Hiashi paused. Hinata felt her heart leap into her throat.

After a long pregnant moment, Hiashi said, "I can no longer deny that Naruto has had an influence on you, and that it has been a positive one. He has made you bold, made you willing to defy others, even me, in the face of what you believe is right. And through you, he has even effected a change in myself."

Hiashi took a scroll from the corner of his desk and, after looking at it for a moment, handed it to Hinata. The scroll was unsealed, but tied closed. Hinata looked at it, then at her father, before looking back at the scroll. Slowly, she unfurled the scroll with trembling hands. Her eyes scanned the first words on the page, widened as she read a few more lines, then filled with tears.

She dropped the scroll and jumped up. Pens, papers, scrolls, and various knick-knackery, along with Hiashi's favorite lamp, flew off the desk in disarray as she flung herself across it, wrapping her arms around her father and crying, interspersing her sobs with 'otousan' and 'arigatou.'

Though Hiashi's distress at the disorderly disaster made of his desk was pronounced, he still managed gentleness as he set her down. "Daughter, compose yourself! We have a great deal to discuss yet, and this must serve to soften the blow for what is yet to come."

Hiashi occupied himself with picking up the numerous things Hinata's impulse had scattered. Hinata simply sat back in her chair, cradling the scroll to her chest.

After her tears had died down to sniffles, Hiashi spoke again. "Make no mistake, my daughter, this is not the most significant piece of news I have to relate to you, nor is it the most far reaching. You are being sent on a mission, one requested of Konoha by the Hyuuga family. The mission is to locate and bring back to Konoha the Lady Tsunade, for the purposes of healing your cousin Neji. He is talented and a great asset to our house and village alike... and he is, as I have said before, all that remains to me of my brother."

Hiashi grimaced. "There is, however, a complication, and this complication ensures that I must put ahead of my personal wishes the good of our clan and our village. During the morning of the preliminaries to the third exam, a meeting of the civilian council was called. Since the death of my great uncle, my father has served as the Hyuuga representative to the council. I am aware that you already knew this, Hinata, but I mention this because I am considering having him removed as such."

Hinata blinked again in shock, the scroll momentarily forgotten. "But father... Why?"

Hiashi sighed heavily. "Because my father has somehow lost sight of what is in the best interest of the Hyuuga clan. In the meeting, my father attempted to stir up sentiment against Uchiha Sasuke.

"Most of our family wishes that the old rivalry between Hyuuga and Uchiha ended with the massacre. All those responsible for the past were dead, and only one Uchiha remained in the village. It was plain to see… for me, at least… that he had little of the ambition and hunger for dominance that the rest of the Uchiha clan possessed. He was only a child, hurt, and scared of the brother who killed the rest of his clan. But a few in our clan… notably, my father and a few others… saw him not as a child but the last, vulnerable remnant of the greatest threat our village has ever known."

"A threat to our village?" Hinata wondered.

"Yes." Hiashi looked up at the knock on the door. Outside stood one of the branch members of the house with a tray of tea.

"Hmm. Four o'clock already," Hiashi murmured to himself as he deactivated the Byakugan and nodded to Hinata. She stood up and opened the door, and the young Hyuuga Hotaru walked in, before setting down the tray, pouring two cups, and bowing. "Will you need anything else, Hiashi-sama?"

"No," Hiashi replied, taking a cup and nodding to her. "That will be all."

Hotaru nodded and bowed again, before leaving.

For a moment, Hiashi and Hinata sipped at their tea, each taking council of their own thoughts. Hiashi broke the silence. "There is much that is not known to the village in general. Even most of our shinobi are not privy to the true workings that go on around them. The bulk of this village's secrets rest in the minds of the clan heads and the village jonin. And one of the most dangerous secrets is that of the Uchiha clan massacre."

Hiashi's face was gravely serious. "For many years, the Uchiha clan, by virtue of the power of their Sharingan, served as first the _de facto_, then _de jure_, police force of Konoha. But we, the Hyuuga, served as a secret police. While the eyes of the Uchiha provided a brute force none could exceed and few could equal, our eyes gave us a superior ability to uncover that which was hidden and to root out that which was traitorous. It is why we were granted the Privilege of Hyuuga, although it was given numerous strictures to prevent abuses. Because of our competing positions in village security, we were frequently at odds with one another, each side convinced of the other attempting to 'poach'."

Hiashi finished his tea, before pouring more into his cup. At his raised eyebrow, Hinata nodded, forcing herself not to fidget or blush. Her father nodded approvingly in turn; this was a meeting of clan head and future clan head, and her forced composure was good practice for the future. He poured her tea and set the pot back on its place. "Tensions rose to a head when the Nidaime Hokage took office. The Uchiha insisted that some members of our family lured several chunin officers into a fatal ambush, while my father insists that the evidence back then was fabricated."

"Which was it, father?" Hinata asked.

"I do not know," Hiashi admitted. "There is little certainty either way. But regardless of who struck first, the die had been cast. The Uchiha arrested several members of our family in connection with the alleged murders, including my father's elder sister, who was originally intended as the Heir. No word was mentioned of what became of her; she was never seen again.

"My father was still in the academy at the time. Despite the fact that he knew he would be given the caged bird seal, he and his sister were very close. The arresting officers had to knock my father unconscious to get him to stop fighting them. He would have been arrested and charged with assaulting an officer, but the Nidaime Hokage pardoned him, saying that he had only been performing in his official capacity as the Protector of the Heir.

"Strike and reprisal went on, sometimes covert, sometimes more openly, for several years, sometimes with weeks or even months between incidents. Shortly after my father gained chunin status, Grandfather was implicated in the murder of several Uchiha that had gone missing.

"By this point the Sandaime Hokage had taken up the reins of the village. With the indictment of our clan head, the un-secret secret of the Hyuuga-Uchiha war was forced to be openly acknowledged by both the council and the Hokage. My father, only sixteen at the time, acted in what he believed to be the best interests of the Hyuuga clan. He surrendered to arrest most of the clan elders and issued a public statement of responsibility for the conflict. This might have had terrible repercussions to the clan thereafter, but my father knew the seeds of the Second Shinobi War were already sprouting; and less than two weeks after his declaration, open war broke out with Kumogakure. Rather than face legal scrutiny the Hyuuga clan instead exonerated themselves in blood against Kumo, throwing ourselves into the fight unreservedly. And we were exceedingly good at it. It is an interesting thing to note that the vendetta Kumogakure holds of against our clan has its roots in the Uchiha-Hyuuga rivalry." Hiashi stopped for a second, and Hinata realized that her tea had gone cold. She finished it quickly, then poured more for herself and her father. Hiashi took his cup and sipped from it, before continuing. "At this point, with our acquiescence, the Uchiha clan became first among equals. But unknown to many, until it was almost too late, the Uchiha were not simply content to attain simple prestige. No, as it turned out, without the risk of the Hyuuga Secret Police, they were free to plot the takeover of Konoha.

"It is only ten years after the end of the second War, in the Third Shinobi War, that a historical irony occurred. By forcing the Uchiha to suspend their time tables when hostilities broke out, Iwagakure actually saved Konoha from destruction at the hands of the Uchiha clan. Not that Iwa would much appreciate the service they performed for us, of course. It was against them that Namikaze Minato honed his skills, so that by the time the Third War ended, Minato was too powerful to depose as Hokage. The Uchiha were forced to wait... but they were nothing if not patient. Yet fate, it seemed, was against them.

"By the time circumstances were ripe for them to take advantage of the advancing age of the reinstated Sandaime Hokage after the Kyuubii attack, the clan had been partially depleted, mostly by the attack itself. The Uchiha were training their next generation of ninja, the ones whom they planned to take control of Konoha, and at their forefront was Itachi."

Hiashi smiled. "The Uchiha were a proud, arrogant clan... but Itachi was different. The Uchiha found it amusing and convenient that the Sandaime Hokage chose to train Itachi personally; but the Hokage was craftier than they had guessed, and took to nurturing the difference within Itachi. When Itachi was at last forced to choose between his clan and Konoha, he chose to side with Konoha, first in killing Uchiha Shisui when he discovered Itachi's loyalties and went to warn the rest of the clan, then later, on Hokage-sama's orders, in killing the rest of his clan.

"My father was overjoyed. Karma, it seemed, had extracted the revenge the Hyuuga clan had hungered for over a generation. And, for a time, he was satisfied. By this time, of course, he had long since passed the mantle of leadership to me.

"Then, the dynamic of the situation changed. On the most recent Academy graduation, Sasuke was shuffled into Neji's team. My father was incensed. He demanded that I require him to be transferred to a different genin team. I pointed to the progress Sasuke's influence had sparked in my nephew. Yet my father countered my arguments by pointing out that exposure to Neji had spurred Sasuke to activate his own Sharingan. Sasuke was gaining strength, and with his attention drawn by Sasuke's placement on Neji's team, my father's scrutiny remained even after Sasuke's transfer to Team Seven. Matters only served to deteriorate more once Naruto demonstrated his own Byakugan. In Father's eyes that sealed Naruto as not only jinchuuriki but also a child of the Lost Ones, quite forgetting — or possibly, unwilling to admit — that the Lost Ones left the family _after_ Naruto was born. So Naruto, however he had received his Byakugan, was not of their line. Although I myself would dearly like to know exactly whose indiscretion it was that led to him. At any rate, this information tainted Sasuke by association even further."

Hiashi frowned. The cups were empty again; so too was the teapot. For a moment he seemed ready to send for more tea, but then reconsidered it. He sighed, and said, "Which brings us back to the meeting on the day of the preliminaries. My father's aspersions on Sasuke were met with ridicule. When even most of his usual supporters voted against him, he chose to invoke the Privilege of Hyuuga against Sasuke. This is possibly the worst thing he could have done, for the clan and village alike, as he has now ensured that the rivalry will start up all over again if it fails, or that Konoha will lose one of its greatest bloodlines should it succeed. Yet in light of the past and his experiences, I can see his reasoning, the more alarming for how compelling it is despite the flaw of using obsolete information to drive his actions. My father may even believe he is acting in the best interests of the clan but, while I understand his logic, I do not support it and I will not allow his error to incur a debt on Konoha that our clan cannot afford.

"Our only lucky break in this is the severity of the injuries inflicted on Neji. As my father chose Neji to carry out the Privilege, the time limit has already begun. Sasuke will not be informed of the Privilege until the actual challenge is made — and the challenge _must_ be made within twenty days. Meaning that, as of tomorrow, only fourteen days remain for that challenge to be made, or else the Privilege has failed. Therefore, you must ensure that Tsunade-sama is not returned to Konoha before two weeks have passed. And you will be operating in an area where our clan's greatest enemies are active."

Hinata's face was solemn. "Who will I be teamed with, Father?"

Hiashi sighed. "For jonin support, the team will include Kurenai-sensei and Ebisu-sensei. Your teammates will be Shino, your remaining teammate from Team Seven... and Naruto."

The bottom dropped out of Hinata's stomach. The scroll she'd received earlier felt like a lead brick in her hands, and her head swam. Her father had granted a formal intent of betrothal to Uzumaki Naruto, to be delivered to his guardian, the Sandaime Hokage, and she was being sent on a mission with her future husband with the intent of sabotaging it. In this mission, she might be forced to betray her future husband — he might even discover some evidence of her betrayal in the process — only to return home and learn that the girl who had betrayed him was the woman he would one day marry.

Yet Hinata knew that if it was necessary, she would do it. Because, if Neji were to present the challenge of the Privilege of Hyuuga, then either Sasuke or Neji would die.

It truly was a bitter pill to swallow.

**End Chapter 21**

-AN: That was a beast of a chapter- second longest to date.

Little to add here- I've seen a few conjectures, and been surprised at how close (And how far) some people are guessing at what is going to happen next. For those of you kvetching about the 'pairing' let me remind you that everything is still up in the air. Just because nobody in the past has turned down an intent of marriage from a major clan doesn't mean that it isn't going to happen. Nor does it mean that Naruto will turn it down. Both of these statements are true.

Hope that you all like this chapter- I know it has no fighting in it, although I got to put in a bit of backstory that made more sense to me than what canon espouses (At least, of what I've seen of it- much is left unexplained so I felt the need to take artistic license here and there).

Thank you all for your readership and reviews- I almost added another rant here, but then thought the better of it. My irritation is aimed at people that none of you who have stuck with me this far will (luckily) ever have to meet. so instead I leave you this: a preview, and then a sign off.

_Preview chapter 22:_

_Recognition. At last. _

_He kept trying to feel the pride, the joy. Yet the only thing he could feel was the cool grooves in the smooth metal of the hitai ate. _

_He should sleep, he knew. Tomorrow was a big day. _

_But he just couldn't sleep._

_End preview. _

Ja mata.

-AXENOME


	25. Chapter TwentyTwo: Seeking Out

**Chapter 22: Seeking Out**

"No. No, no, no, no."

The cloaked figure clenched his fists, watching the images in the scrying stone with incredulity. His eyes suddenly widened, and he screamed. "NO!"

He slammed both fists down on his desk with enough force to splinter the fine hardwood top. The bridge of the desk gave way, and the scrying stone- one of the last vestiges of the personal effects of the late, much feared Hanzou- flew from its stand, before it hit the carpetting with a muted thud. It rolled slowly for a second before it stopped, displaying to the man a warped reflection of the room, the splintered desk, and himself.

"Pein sama?" Inquired a voice from the door. "Is something wrong?"

Pein's eyes flashed dangerously. "Get out." He said in a whisper laced with menace.

The door, only cracked open, shut with a light scrape.

Pein's eyes lingered on the door for a moment, as he willed himself to calm. His blood sang with an urge for violence, but he managed to force back the unbecoming emotion- until his wandering eye landed on the scrying stone and his memory replayed what he'd seen in its murky depths, the vision in his mind's eye. His rage flared, and he grabbed the two halves of the desk, one in each hand, and attempted to throw them out the window, combined seven hundred pounds of awkward, heavily abused craftsmanship. The lighter half shattered the glass and jammed in place; the heavier half drove it- and the window frame and a good portion of the surrounding wall- completely out of the building. The debris tumbled out the side to land on the streets below, their impacts a dim set of crashes largely dulled by the sound of the constant rain.

It was quiet again. Pein could hear the rain clearly, through the hole he'd made with his desk. Some of that rain blew in, soaking the carpet near the hole, drops of water splashing and spattering the scrying stone where it now lay.

Sheets of paper flew under the door, a flying cloud of paper that coalesced into the shape of a woman, then taking feature and color. Pein looked back out the hole, wondering what would become of their goals now.

"Pein, what the hell is going on?" Konan demanded.

He turned rinnegan eyes toward her, his rage subsided, leaving only exhaustion and resignation in its wake. "The Ancients of Konoha are awake again. And it's all because of that stupid bastard Orochimaru."

Konan snorted. "All because you didn't tell him about our real agenda or even their existance. I warned you that you should have brought him into the loop. He hates secrets. That's why he left Akatsuki." She folded her arms, her left index finger and middle finger alternately tapping on her arm, her signet ring flashing in the grey light. "How did he do it?"

Pein sighed. "I only caught images, flashes of it... but he summoned a greater serpent in the forest and damaged one of the trees there, part of which jostled an ancient. The ancient itself wasn't significantly damaged, but it woke rapidly- I can only assume it wasn't fully asleep yet." He found himself tensing again and forced himself to unclench his fist, ignoring the rivulets of blood that trailed from the four crescent shaped cuts in his palm. "But from what has been released to the council at this point- and I'd never even had a clue until the council meeting today, six days after the end of the second exam- that Orochimaru had been involved in the forest of death as well as the Konoha Hospital incident."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. You're going to have to explain all that- I don't exactly have the inside line to Konoha at the moment." Konan interjected. "What was he doing in the forest of death? And what happened at the hospital?"

Pein shook his head. "In the forest of death during the second exam, Orochimaru attacked a number of genin with the intent of recruiting the better ones in the exam for his own subordinates. The council had gotten some word of this but I'd discounted this as him making a rather harmless nuisance of himself, as all genin that have gone missing have since been accounted for. Aside from the three he killed to infiltrate the second exam, and one killed as collateral damage, no other deaths have been laid at his feet."

"That's it, then?" Konan said incredulously. "He tried to recruit and left without any candidates? That doesn't say much for this year's crop of chunin hopefuls."

"Thus we come to the hospital incident." Pein replied. "He evidently had a specific target in mind. This year's applicants are apparently especially talented, enough so that they were forced to hold preliminaries to the third exam. During those preliminaries, Uchiha Sasuke was hospitalized from some sort of poison after his match- which he won, incidentally. After the detoxification, at Sasuke's weakest and most vulnerable, Orochimaru managed to infiltrate the hospital and inflict a curse mark on him."

"A new lieutenant." Konan said thoughtfully.

"I am inclined to disagree." Pein contradicted. "I was most fascinated to learn that according to his former disciple, Mitarashi Anko, he's apparently completed that technique he was spending most of his time pla7ying with a while back." He paused, waiting for Konan to piece it all together.

She did, too. "The Sharingan. This is about Itachi, isn't it?"

Pein scowled, nodding. "And that fool in his arrogant pride has started a chain reaction that is now wildly out of his control. Apparently after his scuffle where he summoned the snake, Uzumaki Naruto disappeared for several days. And according to the proctors for the exam, his dojutsu has... evolved, somehow. I'm willing to hazard a guess that he was taken and altered by an Ancient."

Konan's eyes widened. "Is it starting again?"

Pein's teeth ground together. "I don't know. It shouldn't be. The grove in Konoha has been quite active over the last hundred years, according to... him. They should be sleeping right now- all the ancients should be. It's because of this factor that we've been able to move as we have been. There should be a patch of peace now wihtout their interference, until they awaken naturally- but now that the grove is awake there's no KNOWING when they'll drift off again- by which time another grove will likely be rousing from their slumber. We only had a twelve year window- probably a first in THOUSANDS of years where all the known groves would be asleep at once- and that IMBECILE RUINED IT!"

"You should have told him." Konan reminded him.

"You already know why we couldn't." He snapped. "Until we know exactly where that curse mark comes from we couldn't risk that he himself was altered by the ancients. They have a tendency to reprogram creatures they alter, on a subconscious level, to defend the grove that took them at all costs. Comes from so many eons of warring amongst themselves; the survivors are justifiably paranoid. We couldn't risk it. Not then, not now, not ever."

Konan watched Pein carefully. For several long minutes the only sound in the room was that of the ever present rain through the hole in the wall.

Konan finally broke the silence. "When you think about it... the Ancients are rather awe inspiring for what they can do. Like the gods, almost. Seeming all powerful, like they can do... well, anything."

Pein fixed Konan with a stare and replied, "They aren't like the gods- they ARE the gods. They made everything. But even gods are not without limit, even gods can die. And I swear that for the sake of all men that live, I'll see every one of them dead. And then, fate willing, perhaps men will learn peace without the Ancients goading them into war."

Konan averted her eyes, unable to withstand the intensity in Pein's gaze, as she said, "What about the Biijuu?"

Pein's response was silent; his teeth clenched so hard it hurt. "Pein..." She began.

"We have no choice. If the Ancients sense the movement of multiple biijuu over the course of a short period of time to a single location, they'll gather or create forces that can destroy that location and any threat the biijuu might pose, in fear that another grove is gathering for an attack." His next words were a growl. "We must halt our efforts at... collection, until such time as they fall asleep again."

"Perhaps..." Konan said thoughfully, "we could do so slowly. Take the jinchuuriki to staging points until such time as we are ready to seal them all at once into the statue. If we move them quickly enough and can seal them all simultaneously..."

"We would need to carefully coordinate our efforts and holding locations so that they were roughly equidistant. The Ancients would almost imediately deduce our intentions." Pein protested.

"We can time things well enough that there will be margin for error without them begin equidistant. Two of them can be positioned farther out that the others; those can be assigned to myself and Deidara since the both of us have access to flight. And you were already planning on aqcuiring them slowly, after the failure of the last attempt, remember?"

Pein's protests were growing feeble as he began warming to the idea. "We may have to hold them in separate places for a while..."

"We can use fuuinjutsus to lock away their biijuu powers- after that we can hold them easily. I realize to do this the statue will require alteration to seal them all at once, and if we are to do it quickly enough we will have no choice but to retrieve Orochimaru's ring, but still-"

Pein nodded. "But it is still quite doable." he finished.

"Not a disaster." Konan agreed. "Merely a change in plans." She took a few steps forward. "And while we're on the topic, the Yonbii jinchuuriki has been found."

Pein smiled, a genuine smile for the first time in days. "Magnificent."

A sheet of paper peeled away from Konan's cloak and drifted to her hand. Drawn on it in a careful hand was a map, which she now handed to him. "We've located him, here, in the mountains of Tsuchi no Kuni."

"Excellent. My Earth Realm is already near Iwagakure- I can be there before long. I'll get him myself."

--

This was- as Shikamaru might say, or his father for that matter- troublesome.

Last night, after he'd finished up with the medic nin's checkups, Naruto ran into Shikaku on his way to the Hokage tower. The older nin had gently cautioned him against his nightly investigations in the tower, and made mention that nothing would be said about Naruto's late night research in the restricted access files, should Naruto likewise not mention to the Hokage about the early disclosure of the mission.

(Flashback)

_"Also, keep an eye out for anything... unusual." Nara Shikaku said. "The Hokage has been acting rather strange, distracted and somewhat erratic, lately, especially where it concerns some things that have been kept hush hush about the council. I don't know all the details, and wouldn't pass them on even if I did. But I want you to keep an open eye, just in case."_

_"Erratic how?" Naruto asked. _

_"Sometimes he'll seem to be his old self, and other times he will jump to a strange conclusion or make an odd decision. I've been passing along to other teams to be extremely cautious in their missions, as I've begun to be concerned that this might be the early stages of senile dementia. No proof as yet, and what symptoms that match are very mild, so far... but be forewarned that it may come to it that the Hokage will have to be... retired early for medical reasons. Do you understand?"_

_Naruto frowned. "He's the Hokage. He always works for what he believes to be best for Konoha- and he's a lot older than either of us. He's seen things and knows things that we've never encountered, so why should we second guess him?"_

_"I'm not talking about second guessing him- his decisions seem to be good ones still, of late. But it's our job not just to see what is in front of us, but what is ahead and what lies underneath. I see possible warning signs, and I'm passing along the warning to all the people whom I believe need to know." Shikaku said. "Call it a compliment, kid- I'm so far only telling Jonins or people who are within a year of becoming such. I know you understand the need for secrecy, and I know you're good enough to trust on this, but this requires a jonin attitude- hero worship cannot be allowed to get in the way. You're becoming one of our heavy hitters, whether you realize it or not, and if word gets out to other villages that our Hokage might be weakening, it could be disastrous, so I want you to be prepared for what may come- Likely as not, you will be called on and there won't be time to explain the situation. Are you ready?"_

_Naruto shrugged. "As ready as I can be, at the moment, after hearing our hokage might be starting to lose his mind." _

_Shikaku nodded. "Code word is Sleeping Monkey. You hear this codeword from me or any other Jonin in the village, you are to report to the tower immediately to Maito Gai, Hatake Kakashi, me, or Hyuuga Hiashi, in that order. You'll receive your instructions there. Got it?"_

_Naruto nodded again. "Understood."_

(End Flashback)

And that encounter was why Naruto sat here, in the Hokage's office, staring blankly at the piece of paper in front of him as though it was the first time he'd seen it. "If this is as important as you say it is, Hokage sama, then there's no way we should be going on this mission."

Next to him, Shino said face was as blank and unreadable as the mirrored sunglasses he always wore. Past him, Hinata's face was likewise difficult to gauge. She looked at Naruto for a few seconds before straightening her pages in her lap and looking expectantly at the Hokage.

Kurenai chose this moment to speak up. "While it is true that this is an important mission, B-ranked with room for interpretation as A-rank, this is due primarily for who you will be searching for and the client who is requesting the mission."

Naruto frowned. "Who is this Tsunade woman, anyways?"

Ebisu sensei from his position at the door gave a disgusted snort. "Did you not pay attention at all in the academy?" He snapped with a sneer. "You can't get through life on brute strength alone- even if it is all you have to offer."

Naruto looked at Ebisu for a moment, before sighing and turning his eyes back to the Hokage. "Who is this Tsunade woman, anyways?" He repeated.

It wasn't the rudest thing Naruto could have done; even so, Naruto was just a genin and Ebisu a Jonin. One did not disregard one's superiors in such a fashion, even if the superior had instigated the rudeness.

Ebisu apparently wasn't one to let it pass, either. "Your manners are as poor as ever. Still, I suppose it is to be expected- I'm accustomed to dealing with clan heads and hokages. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised at the illbred behavior of a clanless orphan who lacks not just shame but even people willing to stand living with him."

Hinata and Shino looked at one another uneasily. Ebisu sensei wasn't behaving like a teacher or a jonin- in fact, it seemed as though he was actively seeking a conflict or trying to make a scene. And why was the Hokage just sitting there watching this? Why didn't Kurenai sensei say or do something?

Naruto sat rigid, staring in the direction of the Hokage. "Hokage sama, I apologize for my lack of knowledge. Please enlighten me, that I might perform my mission to the best of my ability and ahead of other concerns, such as people whose choices are to place their own issues ahead of the good of the mission."

The Hokage nodded. "That's good for now, Ebisu."

Ebisu sensei nodded in return, and his demeanor completely altered. The antagonistic attitude and beligerence evaporated, leaving behind a cool tempered, somewhat detached professional that Naruto could still tell held more than a little genuine disdain. But his posture and voice were polite. "Of course, Hokage sama."

The Hokage cocked his head to the side in a fashion Naruto found to be oddly familiar. "In part, Naruto, that was your first introduction. Not necessarily in topic, of course, but at least in spirit. And it is a comfort to see that you are more in control of yourself than you were when you were first introduced to Tazuna. While in some cases a demonstration such as you made then can create smoother sailing later on, letting a client trust to your skills and thereby stay out of your way, against Tsunade it will only get you killed. While she is most commonly known as the Legendary Medic, she was also one of the Sannin. And regardless of your past successes, I think you would fare no better against her than you did against her team mate." Naruto scrunched his brow and found himself wishing he'd gotten less quality sleep time during lecture. After a moment he figured it out. "You mean Orochimaru."

"Yes." The Hokage looked particularly grave, but something about his expression bothered Naruto for some reason.

After a moment, Naruto started rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "He won't find me so easy, next time."

The Hokage gave a long suffering sigh. "He won't _go_ so easy on you next time. But it doesn't matter now-"

Naruto interrupted. "Who was their jonin sensei?"

The Hokage paused for a second, appraisingly, before answering, "I was."

Naruto rubbed his hands across his face, a certainty growing in him, the motion masking the flickered activation of his Kamigan.

The kamigan saw right through his own hands- and the Henge on the "Hokage."

Naruto realized with a start that the Hokage was being impersonated by Kakashi Sensei. Naruto began to speak as he dropped his hands and the Kamigan alike, but Kyuubii stopped him.

**KID, DON'T TIP YOUR HAND. JUST BECAUSE YOU FIGURED OUT SOMETHING WAS OFF, DOESN'T MEAN YOU KNOW THE WHOLE STORY. PLAY IT CLOSE TO THE CHEST.**

The "Hokage" waited for Naruto to continue with what he'd been about to say. When it was apparent Naruto intended to remain silent, he went on. "While Tsunade is not necessarily an antagonistic woman, she is at the least highly contrary. Her psych profile indicates she is somewhat threatened by strong male figures, and as such she will tend to challenge them, especially if they are just raw talent, or not fully seasoned and trained. This means that you, Naruto, she will find to be a prime target."

Naruto listened carefully as Kakashi spoke, hearing despite the jounin's skill at impersonation a slight bit of Kakashi's own speech patterns and mannerisms creeping in- the longer he spoke in a block, the more it happened. But Naruto in spite of his distraction heard the pauseKakashi left to provoke Naruto's response.

Naruto decided to take the bait. "So I'm obviously not a good choice for this mission. If so, why _am_ I going along?"

Kakashi sighed, tapping out the Hokage's pipe in the ash tray, then looking at the bowl of the pipe with a frown. "Because Hiashi sama insisted. Allow me to elaborate."

He picked up a remote and tapped a button on it, and a screen Naruto had never seen used before flickered on in the corner of the room. "Note what is on the screen."

Naruto watched for a few seconds- it was his match with Choji. "Okay- but why are you showing me this?" He asked. "I remember it fairly well- I was there, after all."

Kakashi nodded. "So you were." The scene changed as Kakashi pressed another button; suddenly it was a different camera angle. Naruto saw Ino collapse, watched Hayate declare victory in slow motion. "Wait for it." Medics rushed over, began shouting in panic, then there was a blur and Ino's oopponent, that Takigakure bastard, Mizuten or something like that, vanished from the screen. Kakashi stopped the feed, and rewound it.

It took Kakashi a minute or so, but finally he pinned down two frames. One with an approaching blur and the second with the tail end of it on the other side of the screen. The actual grab had been too fast to catch.

"This film is specifically designed for shinobi fights. It runs at three hundred sixty frames per second. When you intercepted Mizuten san, the camera caught you on exactly two frames, and neither one anything resembling clearly." Kakashi clicked another button; the scene shifted to another angle. Frozen at this angle, the image was slightly clearer, but still not very recognizable. "We pacified their jounin sensei by showing him this video feed. At the speed you were moving, your grab should have killed him. When you slammed him into the wall, all you would have needed to do is let momentum go to work- hitting the wall at those speeds should have left him a greasy smear across it. Your self control, as well as your caution in both the grab and the impact, impressed a great number of people. Since Hinata's normal guardian for a mission of this sort would be her cousin, and since he is... indisposed, Hiashi sama decided to find a substitute, and has deemed you to be adequate to the task. Meaning that, as 'Adequate' by a Hyuuga's standards, he sees you as the hands down best chance Hinata has of returning to the village alive and unharmed, regardless of what you may run across."

Kakashi turned off the screen and set down the remote. "There are, of course, other considerations... but I think you can understand the core reason now for you being chosen."

Naruto nodded. "I understand."

And he did- he was here for the express purpose to ensure that nothing happened to the Hyuuga heiress, nothing more.

_Heh. I always wanted to be a body guard for a princess,_ he thought to himself.

"Stay in the background as much as possible for as long as possible- as long as you cultivate a silent presence she will identify you as a professional, if a rather unorthodox one. If I could I'd hide you behind an ANBU mask but you have none of the mannerisms, training, or knowledge of an ANBU- you'd stick out even more in her mind, and the less attention you draw the better. I'm leaving Kurenai as the prime leader of this mission; since Tsunade respects confident, strong women, this likely will make a good impression on her and possibly dispose her favorably towards your mission. We need every advantage we can get right now."

Kakashi filled in Hinata and Shino on their roles in the coming mission as well as Kurenai and Ebisu. "Additionally, I was pulled aside by Shikaku before we started this briefing and he had an absolutely fascinating idea. I would like to explore it, and I've found myself in an especially serendipitous situation- specifically, Naruto, you will be exploring the limits of your chakra control. We'll see just how well and how finely you can coordinate it. If this turns out like Shikaku- and I, as well- think it will, you may be able to do something no other ninja can. And since you will already be travelling with the best sensei Konoha has to offer, you will have the personal opportunity to make the most of the idea." Kakashi stood up. "The mission begins tomorrow morning. Rest up; part of the reason this team is travelling with such heavy firepower is that most of the territory you will be travelling through has seen moderately heavy traffic by Kumogakure nin- they Hyuuga Kekkei Genkai is something they've wanted for years, and is readily noticable even at a casual glance. You won't get much rest at all if they pick up your trail, so be alert."

The others stood up as well. Hinata smiled at Naruto mysteriously, and then at Kakashi. "Thank you, Hokage sama."

Naruto didn't stand up. "May I have a word with you in priovate, Hokage sama?"

Kakashi paused for a moment, before nodding. "Of course, Naruto."

The two of them waited while the others left, before Kakashi said, "So, Naruto. What is on your mind?" Kakashi finished filling the bowl of the pipe with tobacco and lit it carefully, puffing several times, before drawing deeply on the pipe, obviously enjoying the aromatic tobaccos.

"I didn't know you smoked... Kakashi sensei."

Kakashi froze, pipe halfway back to his mouth.

Naruto didn't wait. "I know it must be important, whatever it is... but why _are_ you impersonating the Sandaime Hokage?"

--

He knew he should sleep. Tomorrow was a big day- a day he began a mission that proved he'd been right to work, right to hope, right to strive past the opinions, hatreds, and fears of the villagers. Tomorrow he'd be starting a mission that clearly stated that he was recognized for his worth, individually selected by the Head of the most elite clan in Konoha, because he was best for the job. Recognition, at last. Yet that accomplishment was tainted by what he'd learned mere minutes after the conclusion of the briefing.

The village was in crisis. And almost nobody in the village knew it.

Naruto regretted knowing, regretted asking, regretted even listening to Nara Shikaku. Regretted even guessing that the Hokage was not who he appeared to be. It shook his world to its very foundations, to know that a Hokage could go missing nin, could abandon his village.

The old man had always been everything Naruto had ever wanted to be. Everyone in the village loved him. He protected everyone- he was, to Naruto, all that a shinobi could ever aspire to. And Sarutobi sama, the great Sandaime Hokage, was now gone, left his village, and left his hitai ate behind.

The Kyuubii was silent.

Naruto appreciated this. He sat on his bed, leaning against the headboard, fingering his own hitai ate, tracing the leaf with his fingertips, trying to feel it for the sense of wonder and joy and pride he remembered from when he'd first received it. Pride in joining the ranks of Konoha shinobi, that once, the Hokage himself had tread the same path he himself was walking.

Naruto, more even than the tales of the Yondaime Hokage, admired the Sandaime. The Yondaime had been a dashing, heroic man, a story, a legend... but...

... But while the Yondaime had been a hero, the Sandaime had been, to Naruto, the very symbol of what a Hokage was.

Guide. Protector. Leader. Lord.

Hokage.

Naruto sighed, scooting down and laying full outon the bed, still in his shirt, even though his lights were long since off.

Recognition. At last.

He kept trying to feel the pride, the joy. Yet the only thing he could feel was the cool grooves in the smooth metal of the hitai ate.

He should sleep, he knew. Tomorrow was a big day.

But he just couldn't sleep.

--

**End Chapter Twenty Two**

-AN: Aaaaaannnnnnndd I'm back.

My apologies for the better than three weeks I've been gone, and a further apology for the shortness of this chapter. I've been splitting my attention between two stories, seasonal stuff, work, and reallocation of assets for my company- meaning I'm having to figure out how to keep my company afloat in the face of the worsening economy. We're not in trouble... yet... but I'm trying to ensure that six months from now we're not filing chapter eleven or- god forbid- chapter seven (Shudder).

All that aside, I got a lot of mixed reviews on my release of the last chapter. Some people liked it, some people hated it, a lot of people jumped to a lot of conclusions about the pairings on this fic. I'll say this again.

Don't conclude ANYTHING about final pairings. The story is going where it's going, and yes, there is a bloodline conflict with crossing the Kamigan and the Byakugan. But for god's sake PLEASE stop mailing me hate about pairings- commentary on POSSIBLE pairings is cool. Speculating is cool. Calling me an asshat for pairing up Hinata and Naruto is just irritating. Keep in mind: Twelve to fourteen years old. Even if betrothed, marriage is a long way off- and this is NOT a pairing or a harem fic. Relationships are fluid and complicated. Try to judge the relationships in the story according to what's happening IN my story, not in what's happened in another story you read by someone else and hated. This isn't a hate fic, this isn't a bash fic, I will NOT be randomly offing characters without good reason. And I'm sorry if you don't feel that Sakura should be a ninja, I tried to set up her responses in the preliminaries to play appropriately to her strengths. If you dislike the underhanded tactic she attempted, all I can say is: Ninja. They don't tend to play fair.

Alright! That should about cover everything. Reviews welcome, thanks for reading, and hopefully I'll have another chapter in ten days or so.

And Happy new year to you all.

Ja Mata.

-AXENOME


	26. Chapter Twenty Three: Leaves in the Fall

Chapter Twenty-three: Leaves in the Fall

"I don't like it." Asuma said.

The room was poorly lit- this particular room in the Hokage tower was rarely used. Kakashi ordinarily preferred dim lighting, but the room was completely devoid of window- the single forty watt light bulb did nothing to eliminate the oppressive feel of the darkness that lurked behind every obstruction to the direct rays of that bulb. It was bright enough that the dark contrast of the shadows seemed absolutely pitch black, but not bright enough to cast ambient light to alleviate those shadows. Chiaroscuro, that was the term for it.

Kakashi realized that he'd been subconsciously stalling his reply in his distraction. He let out a sigh as the attention of everyone in the room was fixed on him. "What would you have had me do?" He demanded. "He saw through it with his Kamigan- I don't even know when he activated it. In fact I'm wondering if he found a way to activate it without its Residual Secondary Manifestation."

RSM was a common weakness- or at least, a giveaway- of many kekkei genkai, most especially those which produced dojutsus. The tomoes that appeared in the Sharingan eye, or the bulging eye veins and pale irises of the Byakugan were some of the better known examples. The RSM of a kekkei genkai frequently warned an opponent of what to expect from a foe. If Naruto could suppress his, his threat level to an enemy shinobi was increased by an order of magnitude.

Kurenai shook her head, catching the attempt to derail the topic. "Well, as interesting as that may be, Kakashi, I think you're missing Asuma's point. Each of us- yes, Haku, I mean you as well- is a seasoned shinobi. Naruto is a rookie. His career, as sterling and incredible as it has been, has still been far too brief. Honestly, Kakashi, the truth of it all is that your team is green, and Naruto was two months later than the other two were- he's barely even had time to integrate with them. By all rights, he shouldn't even be in the exams."

"That was NOT my doing." Kakashi responded coldly. "I was forced into it by the Council."

"That isn't the matter at hand here!" Kurenai snapped. "There have been meteoric rises through the ranks before, but that isn't the core problem here. He isn't READY for the chunin exams, much less a Jonin level issue like this! And I for one am not comfortable letting such matters of village security rest in hands as inexperienced as his."

Kakashi quickly read the body language between Asuma and Kurenai as he edged slightly closer to her, lending support subtly with his presence. Kakashi suppressed his surprise. _What happened to not mixing casual sex with coworkers?_ he wondered vaguely. As he formulated his response carefully, Toji stepped in. "Naruto plays everything close to the vest, Yuuhi-san. He is not one to risk exposing critical secrets- and in all fairness, his students fared much better against the unexpected than did your own."

Kurenai's eyes narrowed dangerously. "I think you're letting your personal feelings regarding the Uzumaki brat cloud your judgement."

"And I happen to know for a fact that you're letting your feelings clouds yours." Anko retorted from across the table. "At first, it was a little funny to me, seeing you annoyed that your initial attempt to seduce him failed. But you need to either get over it or hurry up and fuck him, because you've lost all sense of perspective."

Asuma's jaw clenched but he remained silent; Kakashi wished Kurenai- or Anko, for that matter- had so much sense to do the same. Unfortunately, Kurenai instead shot back, "Is your sex life so barren that you have to start poking around in mine? I'm not so desperate as to moon over a damned kid! But you're a little closer to his age, why don't _you_ fuck him and mind your OWN damned business!"

Anko slammed her hands down on the table as she shot to her feet, raising her voice to match Kurenai's. "It BECOMES my business when it interferes with my job, which incidentally happens to be overlapping yours! Which says something about how it's affecting your own work- funny how that sort of thing works, isn't it?"

"Shut up both of you!" Yelled Toji. The bickering women fell silent and fell back on glaring at one another angrily. Kakashi looked exhausted, Haku uncomfortable, and Asuma seemed to want to sink into the ground. The Officer in Toji felt a stab of pity for Asuma- by their behavior, he and Kurenai were clearly sleeping together, and for Asuma to have to be present while she got this worked up over a teenaged boy turning her down for sex, well... that had to be pretty devastating for his ego.

Yamato's face was as impassive as ever. "I confess I too have misgivings as to Naruto's involvement in this matter. As it stands, perhaps it is best that he is leaving in the morning. My concerns, however, are more that he has been touched by the Ancients. Most such things are themselves altered beyond what they were, and we can be fairly certain given his physical alterations that there were other changes made as well. It might be best that Naruto were kept away from the village for a while. Perhaps even until after the exams are over."

Gai, who had been largely silent for most of the meeting, finally spoke up. "That seems to me an extreme precaution. Unnecessarily hampering a genin's career is very... unyouthful. And how would you propose to do this?"

Yamato turned his blank face on Gai. "By the obvious and most direct fashion. We delay them."

Gai scowled. "The longer Neji remains as he is, the worse the prognosis for his recovery. How long do you suggest this mission be delayed?"

Yamato's eyes were cold and hard. "Until the situation with the Hokage has been resolved."

Gai snapped back, "That is unacceptable!"

Yamato's rejoinder was cool and slightly disdainful. "I see that Yuuhi san is not the only one in the room who has let their emotions get in the way of their good sense."

Gai's tone was deceptively mild. "Yes, but unlike you, Tenzo, at least she has the courage to admit those emotions to herself."

Yamato looked alarmed. "That name does not apply to me now."

"Of course not," Soothed Gai, "and likewise responsibility for-"

"Gai!" Barked Kakashi. "What the hell is wrong with you?" He looked around the room at the startled members of the Nine. "With all of you? This is not a forum for airing dirty laundry, grudges, or personal issues! We are here because the Hokage has left and we must keep up appearances until we have a permanent solution. All of us here have had the personal confidence- in spite of our faults- of the Sandaime Hokage. He vouched for each and every one of us in this room during a crisis in our lives or our careers when no other believed in us- sometimes," he said pointedly, directing a hard look at Anko and Gai, "when we did not even believe in ourselves. None of us would hold our current stations- some not even our citizenship-" Haku blushed at this, "Without the faith the Hokage placed in us. And none of us has the privelege or the luxury to cast doubt on any other that the Hokage saw fit to have faith in, regardless of our doubts or fears. And Naruto has had the Hokage's faith for fourteen years. If you cannot put aside your issues with one another for yourselves or for him then you likewise cannot be of use here, because he is ONE of US. And whether you like him or not he wants the same thing each of you does: to uphold the values that Sarutobi sama taught. This is it, people- get with the program, or get the fuck out of the way."

Chastised, each of them gave their full attention to Kakashi as he finished- everybody sat firm and tall, prior issues now brushed aside. Kakashi surveyed them carefully before he gave an uncharacteristic grunt of satisfaction. "Now that we've gotten that out of the way, perhaps we can get back to work."

--

Naruto knew he should be tired. Since the forest, though, he'd found he could function on small amounts of sleep, or even- as the doctors yesterday afternoon had discovered- sleep with part of his brain still on full alert status. But last night, sleep in any form had eluded him, and even now, he still felt no effects from it.

Instead, he was relaxed, ready, and doing some slow calisthenics as he waited outside the front gate of the Hyuuga compound.

He was expected to be serious. He had a serious job to do- protect the heiress to the Hyuuga clan.

("I've made my decision... You are mine, Uzumaki Naruto... and I mean to have you, whatever that takes.")

Naruto frowned as the memory popped into his mind. Hinata had said that almost two weeks ago... but the words hadn't really made much of an impression on him until just now. There was, of course, everything Kakashi sensei had said, but... what if he was picked for this job because Hinata had asked her father to?

Naruto wasn't at first aware of his own actions, his motions dictated by instinct. He somersaulted backwards into a rolling one-handed backflip, avoiding the first barrage of shuriken, as his other hand snatched up Kubikiri Houcho's scroll. He retrieved the weapon almost instantaneously, deflecting the second volley back to their source- the figure atop the compound wall who'd thrown them.

The dark haired, pale eyed man spun in that strange defensive maneuver Neji had used in the third exam preliminaries. A middle aged hand calmly plucked the shuriken, halted by the defensive spin, out of the air, before concealing them somewhere on his person.

Naruto watched with Kamigan eyes as the man hopped down from the wall to a position only a few yards away. Even though the man's posture did not indicate any hostility, Naruto did not relax his guard.

Expanding his own field of vision revealed Hinata watching on the other side of the wall with Byakugan. As she suddenly realized he was watching, Hinata started blushing furiously- but she didn't stop watching.

The man in front of him smiled slightly. "You are as impressive in the flesh as your reputation would warrent." He took two short steps forward, stopping about five feet away from Naruto. "My name is Hyuuga Hiashi, and I have hired you for the express purpose of securing my daughter's safety. Regardless of what course this mission takes, regardless of orders from either accompanying jonin on the mission, regardless of any other circumstance that may arise, her safety is your very first priority. You will be at her side during any fighting, you wil be in her presence consistently. You are expected to sleep in a room adjoining hers where you may come to her aid at a moment's notice. Other than the matters which I have outlined for you here, you follow Hinata's orders during the mission. Do you understand?"

Naruto frowned thoughtfully. After a moment, he said, "It is fairly clear. But... No, I am clear on what is expected of me." Naruto stood slightly taller as he looked Hiashi square in the eye. "I am ready for this mission."

Hiashi nodded, then gave a gesture in the direction of the wall behind which Hinata was standing. Naruto moved to restore Kubikiri Houcho to its scroll, but Hiashi forestalled him with a raised hand. "Keep it ready and in the open at all times during your mission. I want no chances taken with Hanata's safety, no mater how quickly you may draw it from the storage scroll."

The compound gates swung open, and Hinata walked out, carrying a pack on her shoulders.

Naruto frowned again. "Hey, wait. Back when team seven and team eight were working together on that B-rank mission, Hinata didn't have a guardian then. How come she needs one now?"

Hiashi's face was grave. "For several reasons, in conjunction. The first and foremost is that recently there have been some indications of Kumogakure shinobi operating heavily in some towns that are probable search areas for your target. But also for a second reason- Hinata has been officially named the next heir to the Hyuuga clan, and as such she is now betrothed. Or rather, in the first stages of a proposed betrothal."

"Huh..." Naruto mused. "Uh- how does that work?"

Hiashi seemed amused for some reason, but Naruto weas puzzled as to the exact reason why. "The first stage of such an arrangement amongst the greater clans is the choice of suitors. Usually the girl's clan head has assembled ahead of time a list of eligible young men whose inclusion into the clan would be of great benefit to the clan as a whole, whether that benefit be financial, strategic, or through the inclusion of talent or a powerful bloodline. When he judges the time to be appropriate, the clan head of the girl notifies the clan heads or family elders of the most acceptable suitors, informing them that their son is approved. Then, in meeting with them in a group, the one whose offer is best for the pairing is the one to whom it is arranged."

Naruto made a face. "Sounds like an auction- does this sort of thing happen all the time?"

Hiashi smiled. "It does at times seem rather crass when the extreme examples of the process are fully described in detail. But in practice, that almost never happens. Usually the girl's clan head deems only a single suitor to be most acceptable. In those cases, it is merely a matter of notification."

Naruto shoook his head. "And if the guy or the girl doesn't want to marry the other?"

Hiashi seemed to genuinely not understand. "What difference does that make? Clan matters and securing the future of the clan are far too important to decide based on something as arbitrary as romance. It is convenient if they like one another first, but a clan heir or heiress cannot afford to dally with a poor match when it could endanger or hinder the clan. The clan MUST come first."

Hiashi was shocked by the wave of pity that washed across Naruto's face- it was the strongest display of emotion the boy had shown in the entire meeting. "I'm glad I'm not part of a clan, then. I've already had enough choices forced on me, but having the rest of my life decided without my say in it? I think I'd rather be dead."

Neither father nor daughter looked at one another, but neither did they need to. Where before they'd had comfortable certainty, there, now, had been planted within each of them the first seeds of doubt.

--

"Not on the schedule?"

The nurse looked it over. "Nope. Akamichi Isha was disappointed, but Uzumaki San remains a genin of Konoha, and despite the exams, he can be called out on a mission if circumstances call for it. Apparently, the client requested Uzumaki san by name."

The medic nin pushed his glasses up his nose. "That's a shame. A lot of people liked him. Does anyone know when he'll be back?"

The nurse shrugged. "The mission is outside the village- I don't really know much more than that. But rumor has it he may be gone for several weeks." The nurse saw the medic nins expression and smiled at him, patting his hand. "He'll be back, don't worry, Kabuto san."

--

"Naruto sama?" Replied Haku, confused. "I wasn't aware he was given a mission. Team Akachi is on standby to train for the chunin exam finals, in so far as I know."

--

"I saw them yesterday outside the Hyuuga compound." Answered the fish vendor. "I was on my way to work but it looked like they were ready to travel. The Uzumaki brat was talking to Hiashi Sama- I don't know why Hiashi didn't just thrash the little rat and eject him from the property, but I'm sure he has his reasons."

--

"Hinata?" Responded Hyuuga Natsume. "She's out on mission. Something to do with her cousin, I think. Although I don't know what Lord Hiashi is thinking- Kumo has been very active up north recently."

--

Kabuto swept the room carefully with his eyes, until they landed on a file cabinet labelled "Pending."

He crept forward- the information he'd been able to garner through less obvious sources had run dry, but at least now he had enough information to know where to look. After a few minutes leafing through recent missions, he found one with Uzumaki's name on it.

This was it. Mission orders... Client Hyuuga Hiashi. Sent: Team eight, plus Instructor Ebisu and Uzumaki Naruto of team Akachi... Duration: open ended. Mission: Search for-

The door opened and Kabuto's eyes snapped upwards, away from the mission orders- to stare directly in the eyes of an ANBU in a turtle mask. His twin swords were drawn in a flash. "Halt!"

Kabuto slammed the pages back into the cabinet and dashed for the window, hurtling through it and making top speed for his apartment and the hidden pigeon coop. The ANBU lost his trail before getting a full block away from the tower.

The ANBU, Lio, scowled. _Hokage sama is NOT going to like this._

--

"We know a bird was sent. All we have to do now is figure out who sent it." Said Ryosuke. Toji raised an eyebrow. After all this time, the decoy investigation that had been one of the final orders given by Sarutobi sama was bearing some unexpected fruit.

Toji raised an eyebrow. "Are you certain of the authenticity?"

"Yes. We almost caught the informant but he eluded us. We DID, however, manage to recover this." Ryosuke held up a card between two fingers, a standard chakra data storage card. Toji looked at it for a disbelieving moment before his face broke out into a wide grin. "Once we crack the chakra pattern-"

"-We'll know exactly who the spy is, and possibly what the message was." Finished Ryosuke with a matching grin. "And with a little help from Ibiki, we might find out who he was working for, if we can catch him alive."

Toji idly toyed with the chain end of a kusari-kama. "Then at this point, it's only a matter of time."

--

"Amusing." Said the snake sannin. "I find it interesting that you should use so flashy a means to attract my attention, Kabuto kun. I wonder what you are thinking?"

The messenger bird could not answer him, of course. And Kabuto, still in Konoha, could neither hear nor reply.

Then Orochimaru finished charging the tiny slip of chakra reactive paper, read the message, and understood. Kabuto had wanted the message to get to him as fast as possible, and damn the cover.

And Kabuto was quite right. This was an absolutely golden opportunity.

Naruto was leaving Konoha, with only two jonin and an unfamiliar team at his side.

No team Akachi.

No Sharingan Kakashi.

Vulnerable.

Orochimaru licked his lips with a hungry smile. Time to move out.

--

Kabuto succeeded in evading ANBU for precisely nine hours, twelve minutes, and twenty-six seconds. Upon contact a running battle was initiated, that lasted off and on for almost forty minutes- each time a squad broke contact with him it was with one or more casualties, several of them fatal.

The chase finally ended when two pursuit squads caught up to Kabuto at once, one of them being led by former ANBU captain Kakashi himself.

They had subdued the prisoner and as evening turned into night, were in the process of bringing him through the gates into Konoha when he suddenly fell over, stone dead, and was revealed for what he really was: A corpse puppet.

Corpse puppets were an especially morbid, borderline forbidden medical art. Manipulating the body with chakra was tricky enough, but Kabuto had rapidly altered the features of the body so effectively that they'd not known the difference until the body fell over.

By which time, one of the D.O.A's from the pursuit had gotten away from the morgue.

They knew who the spy was, now, but he'd gotten away.

--

"N-Naruto?"

Naruto looked down towards Hinata from his tree branch. "Hmm?"

"Focus, Uzumaki san." Called Ebisu from across the small clearing. Naruto swore under his breath as he kept the two leaves on either cheek from slipping- although it had been quite close.

Bad enough he had to channel water from the sweat on his skin (without allowing any ssalts or minerals in the sweat to move with it) into the broken stems of the small leaves, but to keep them both sticking to his cheeks while hanging by the soles of his feet from a tree branch? _Damned sadist,_ Naruto thought to himself.

Hinata looked chagrined. "I'm sorry, Ebisu sensei, I d-didn't mean to distract-"

"Oh of course not, Hinata sama. You have nothing to be sorry for." Ebisu reassured her. "Please, feel free to speak to him- he could use the company, I think, and he must cultivate the ability to focus on delicate chakra manipulation through any sort of distraction."

_Damned sadist,_ Naruto thought to himself again. Out loud, he asked, "What did you want, Hinata sama?"

Hinata bit her lip, uncomfortable with the honorific. Finally, she responded, "My father... has decided I am to marry."

Naruto's eyes were sympathetic. "Yeah, I know- he told me already. I'm sorry, uh, that you didn't have any say in it."

Hinata looked away for a moment. "Naruto... do you th-think... I am pretty?"

Naruto blinked at her. "Huh? Uh, sure, I guess."

"Would I..." She began, then paused. "Do you think... that I would m-make a good w-wife for someone?"

Naruto's confusion cleared. _So THAT'S what this is all about._ "oh, sure. A guy would be crazy-"

"Focus, Uzumaki san." Called Ebisu.

Naruto swore as he felt the leaf slide on his cheek a fraction of an inch.

"Move the other to match it, and place a third on your forehead as punishment." Called out Ebisu.

_Sadist._ Naruto mentally growled. He followed Ebisu's orders. It took him a few moments to adjust. Hinata was kind enough to wait until Naruto looked back at her before she prompted, "Um... Crazy?"

Naruto answered. "Yeah. I'm no expert, but you're a nice girl, and you're strong. I think you would make a good wife." Naruto paused a second. "You're a good ninja. Your husband needs to respect that, and-"

"Focus, Uzumaki san." Called Ebisu.

Naruto's foot was losing traction. He tried to increase chakra flow to that foot, overcompensated, and flailed for a second while hanging by his other foot. The leaf on his left cheek fluttered away; he snagged it with his right hand while using the left to stabilize himself against the tree trunk.

"Failed, Uzumaki. We're starting your time over." Ebisu called out.

Naruto sighed, replacing the first two leaves on his cheeks and reattaching his free foot.

"Forehead too." Ebisu prompted.

_Sadist._ Naruto thought to himself. "As I was saying, you're a ninja. And you were a ninja well before you got um betrothed? -so he can't take it as a surprise." Naruto paused. "Do you know who he is? What he does?"

Hinata nodded. "He's a ninja too." She answered.

Something in her voice caught Naruto's attention. "You like him?"

Hinata blushed and smiled, looking away. "Y-yes."

Naruto nodded. "Do you know if he likes you?"

Hinata hesitated. "I-I'm not sure."

Naruto waited for her to continue, as he kept a careful eye, so to speak, on his chakra flows- through his skin, through his sweat, through to the very soles of his feet. It was rapidly getting easier- he was starting to get a feel for each separate path in his keirakukei, and as he did so, the exercise became progressively less of a strain on his body and his concentration.

Finally, Hinata said, "He's strong, stronger than I am. Many girls in the village think he's cute, and a little mysterious."

_Sasuke._ Naruto thought. _Of course. Last of his clan, owns the Uchiha lands, of course the Hyuuga clan would want all that._ Out loud, he said, "So... if the guy has no parents or clan head to go to, who will your father speak to? To tell him that he's, um, acceptable?"

Hinata gaped. _He figured it out?_ "Um, F-father will place the request to the Hokage."

Naruto nodded, then frowned as he remembered that the Hokage was missing.

"Focus, Uzumaki san."

Naruto gritted his teeth as he kept the leaf on his forehead from slipping- then realized he'd all but stopped the flow of water through the leaves on his cheeks. He restarted it, not allowing himself to neglect staying attached to the branch.

After he got everything sorted out again, he said, "Do you know him well? His likes and dislikes? Does he know yours?"

Hinata sighed. _I guess he doesn't know._ She thought to herself, feeling a little disappointed. "I... haven't really spoken with him much, except recently. He's usually with his team when I see him. I haven't been able to talk enough with him for him to learn about me... but I do know his favorite color."

Naruto was confused. _Sasuke has a favorite color? No... She can't be talking about him. He doesn't HAVE a favorite color- that would require him to actually like a color in the first place._

Naruto's focus had begun to channel his Kamigan in its lowest stage, but with the trickle of chakra it was consuming he didn't even notice as he turned his head to face Hinata fully. "I don't understand why, but you don't want me to know who he is, aside from the fact that you can't tell me who he is anyways. But at the same time, you don't want to lie about him, and you likewise don't want to lie to me. At first, I thought it was Sasuke, but then I realized you couldn't be talking about him, and besides, I've never even seen you look at him in anything other than a casual way. And you're talking about this guy like you've liked him all along but you were too scared to talk to him- although as the heiress to the Hyuuga clan I can't picture anyone in the village that you'd be nervous to talk to in the first place."

Hinata's eyes widened, and her heart pounded. He was reading her like a scroll. She prayed for Ebisu sensei to interupt again, to call out for focus, but Ebisu was silent. Naruto's focus was perfect, his concentration exact, and his eyes held her pinned, helpless. Powerless.

Naruto's features were relaxed. The leaves on his cheeks and forehead should have made him look silly, but Hinata could see the flows of his chakra, multitasking pathways gently holding each leaf in place while filtering water through xylem and phloem, veinous pathways channneling pure water that had been carefully separated from oil, salt, minerals, everything that made sweat what it was. All of it was balanced, a beautifully choreographed dance of chakra control.

She was snapped out of her fascination as Ebisu sensei began speaking. She jumped; Hinata hadn't noticed the jounin sensei walking up.

"Well done, Uzumaki san. You have a good learning curve. Let's see how far we can take it."

Naruto blinked for a second, before his eyes widened in alarm as he understood exactly what Ebisu was saying. He lost his concentration and fellout of the tree. Ebisu behaved as though he hadn't noticed.

"Tomorrow, Uzumaki san, we will begin with four leaves, then after you've settled into that, you will be burning Kanji into them with your chakra. Admittedly, it is a larger step than I ordinarily take with a student, but I think you can manage it."

Naruto cringed; today had been a nightmare. Naruto made as though to go to bed, when Ebisu stopped him. "Oh, we're only finished with chakra control exercises. Next, we're going to practice parallel formation of one handed seals with independent sequences assigned to each hand."

Hinata looked at Ebisu sensei with disbelief as Naruto's face crumbled. _Ebisu sensei may be a great teacher... but he's a sadist._ She thought to herself.

End Chapter Twenty Three

-AN: Aaannnndd... I'm back!

...

Please don't hurt me. It's not my fault. Well, it kinda is, but I have a great excuse- I left it in my dresser, hold on while I go retrieve it.

Here it is. (Reading) "I had to take some time off because I was having something like a nervous break down and I couldn't really type out stuff and make it sound like something other than abject failure."

All attempts at embarassed humor aside, I apologize to the fans of the story who've had to wait a quarter of a year while I got my act together. Last couple of months have been rather unpleasant for me. I'm back on track- I hope- so hopefully inside of two weeks I should have another chapter up for you to read.

Little else to say, except the rewrite is going terribly, so I'm back to putting out later chapters while I try to fix THAT. God help us all.

It's early wee hours of the morning and I will hate myself for this when I wake up and have to work tomorrow, but tough for me. I left a small joke in the middle of this chap that I'm genuinely wondering just how many people will catch. I leave you with the following preview.

_The new arrival didn't seem very impressed by the presence of Orochimaru or his signature weapon. "The traffic was terrible." He answered snidely. His eyes sanned the ground below, while he fiddled with a knob that rested where his left ear should be. "The little cockroach is warning the other two- interesting. He recognizes me- and the two jonin with him and his team are sitting in that cafe the other two genin are headed towards." The newcomer paused, then laughed. "He says to tell you that he can read lips, and I can pass along to you anything that he says." _

_"So." Orochimaru said. "You realize I'm not here to fight, Naruto kun."_

_"He says, he doesn't care what we're all here for."_

_Orochimaru frowned. "That isn't very gracious of you, Naruto kun. We'd rather not fight you over this- why stay in Konoha when they hate you? I want you in village more than all of Konoha wants you combined. And... I also know the real reason Arashi chose you to seal the Kyuubii. But, of course, you know him as Namikaze Minato... the fourth Hokage."_

_Zabuza listened for a second, then chuckled. "I think you got his attention, boss."_

Gnite, enjoy, and see you all soon.

Ja mata.

-AXENOME


	27. Chapter Twenty Four: Unwelcome Reunion

**Chapter Twenty-Four: Unwelcome Reunion**

Naruto was more experienced than most genin- a trait exacerbated by the fact that said experience had been crammed into far shorter a period of time than was mentally or physically healthy. Yet despite this, passing through each town they searched was an eye-opener for him.

Other than his few short weeks in Nami no Kuni, Naruto hadn't experienced life in a city other than Konoha. He found himself unused to and unready for the hectic, endless motion of these places. Back home, even when in a hurry, the civilians had a relaxed, easy air about them.

Not so, here, and these other towns he'd passed through in Hi no Kuni. They did not have the desperate unemployed poverty that he'd seen in Nami no Kuni, back when they'd first gotten there, but here outside Konoha there was visible the effects of hurry, worry, and heavy labor in every face that passed by. Yet there was cheer, here, too- these were a people who worked themselves hard, and played hard, and took pride in what victories they could wrest from their daily lives. These were a people who threw themselves whole heartedly into everything they did.

It took Naruto a small while to understand that to these people, a folk who did not live in a hidden village, the pace of life differed. These people had no native forces of ninja whose missions would pave their streets or whose numbers would police their populace. Their own labors were the only thing they could rely on- and yet, somehow, they managed not only to survive but to thrive. There was a vitality out here in the open world that seemed lacking in Konohagakure.

Naruto had a nagging feeling that there was a lesson in this for him to learn, somewhere.

Ebisu and Kurenai were somewhere behind them... or perhaps, today, somewhere ahead of them, waiting for them as they ran their rounds of this town. Or who knew? Maybe they were standing nearby here, walking by, maybe drinking tea in a shop across the street in henge. Each day they searched a town, the genin made standard (and sometimes non-standard) sweeps of the city streets, and as evening drew to a close, the jonin would review their performance and results. Should they miss clues thye jonin would then input their own findings and conclusions, at which point the genin would decide their next destination or course of action.

As mid afternoon began to give way to evening, Naruto frowned, and paused in his information gathering. They'd been through four towns so far... but despite this, they'd still not seen hide nor hair of their quarry. They'd found leads in all four towns on this Tsunade woman, and by their pace they might catch up to her at the next town since their freshest lead placed her in town only two days ago, but Naruto was still unsatisfied at their progress. She'd stayed in towns for as little as twelve hours according to some sources, and the distance could easily stretch out again with little or no warning. If it did, this search could take weeks or even months before they finally cornered her and brought her back.

A nagging sense on the edge on his perceptions brought itself to the fore, a feeling that something was wrong, very much so. His frown deepened. He felt a presence, and it was familiar, slightly, very uncomfortably so.

Naruto shot a look in the direction of Hinata. Whatever it was he was feeling, she didn't seem to notice it... which meant he needed to be doubly on his guard. Shino likewise seemed unaware that anything was amiss.

This was no time to take chances: Naruto closed his eyes and pulsed the Kamigan briefly.

The Kamigan told him many things in his blink to assess his surroundings. There were currently five people whose posture and direction indicated they were watching the trio of genin. The first two were Ebisu sensei and Kurenai sensei. The third was a young woman with the bearing of a ninja but carrying no identifying hitai ate, who wore senbon box launchers concealed in her sleeves as well as a number of ninja tools in various places on her person. The fourth was... Kabuto?! And right next to him, confirming suspicions that Naruto'd held since the second exam, was the fifth observer, whose presence and identity made Naruto's blood run cold.

Orochimaru.

--

"Hm." Noted Orochimaru approvingly. "It seems he noticed us rather quickly."

Kabuto frowned. "We can't afford to play with him Orochimaru sama." He commented.

Orochimaru shifted his position on the low rooftop in absolute silence, as he drew forth Kusanagi. "Being that he can see us, that makes this all the easier, then." He replied, smiling. Then the smile diminished as a pair of feet touched down on the roof nearby. "You're late." Orochimaru said, sounding slightly miffed.

The new arrival didn't seem very impressed by the presence of Orochimaru or his signature weapon. "The traffic was terrible." He answered snidely. His eyes scanned the ground below, while he fiddled with a knob that rested where his left ear used to be. "The little cockroach is warning the other two- interesting. He recognizes me- and the two jonin, with him and his new team, are in that little cafe the other two are walking towards." The newcomer paused, then added, "He says to tell you that he can read lips, and I can pass on to you anything he has to say."

"So." Orochimaru said. "You realize that I am not here to fight you, then, Naruto kun."

"He says if that's true, then why the sword?"

"A precautionary measure." Orochimaru answered.

"He says he doesn't care what you're here for, and that we can go back where we came from, because we won't get it in the first place."

Orochimaru frowned. "That's not very gracious of you, Naruto kun. We'd rather not fight you over this- why stay in Konoha, where they hate you? I want you more than all of Konoha combined. And... I also know the real reason Arashi chose you to seal the Kyuubii. But, of course, you know him as Namikaze Minato, the Fourth Hokage."

Zabuza chuckled. "I think you got his attention, boss." Zabuza waited a few seconds, listening. "He says that the words of a traitor aren't exactly known for their reliability, especially when it comes to the people they betrayed."

Orochimaru grinned. "Ah, but you can't disbelieve those lovely eyes of yours, can you, Naruto kun? Because they tell you exactly when someone lies and when someone speaks absolute truth. And the truth is... your beloved Yondaime Hokage was a greater traitor than I ever was."

Zabuza waited for a long minute as Naruto seemed to mulled this over, before Kabuto spoke up, "Orochimaru sama..."

"I see them. It would appear that we are out of time, Naruto kun. If you ever want to finish this conversation, then meet my agent alone at the bridge of Sun and Fire twelve miles west of the town Honba on the border of Rice and Fire. He'll be a disposable agent, only meant to lead you to someone competent enough to tell whether you've been followed... so make sure that you aren't followed or you'll never hear the rest of what I have to say. The agent will only be present on the night of the new moon one week after the final exam for chunin promotion, so I suggest you hurry with your current mission- you only have two and a half weeks left til then."

Orochimaru turned to go, but Zabuza stopped him. "Wait, boss. He says that while you clearly believe what you say, simply because you believe in it doesn't make it true."

Orochimaru's smile was cold and victorious. "What is truth? What _is_ truth, Naruto kun? When you've found the answer to that... maybe then you'll know what it is you're looking for, from both myself AND Konoha. See you in eighteen days... Naruto kun."

--

Naruto was shaking with pent up energy. Kabuto had always struck him as off, and by the third exam preliminaries he'd been fairly certain that whoever he was, he wasn't a Konoha nin. Now, Naruto understood why- he'd been working for Orochimaru the whole time. And worst of all, Mamochi Zabuza was still alive, and working for the Hebi Sannin as well. As an enemy, he'd been powerful, even caught by surprise and up against the completely unfamiliar abilities of a jinchuuriki.

And after his first defeat at Naruto's hands, Orochimaru couldn't have picked a more motivated opponent to face off against the Kyuubii container.

_Not here to fight, but brings out his sword the moment he sees I noticed him. Indecision? Caution? _

_Fear?_

Naruto hadn't SEEN any signs of fear... but ninja were trained to conceal their emotions, and Orochimaru was an infamous master of all things shinobi. After their first encounter, Naruto had studied everything he could find on the Sannin, at times simultaneously training his own skills by breaking into high security records in the Hokage tower at night to find more. Despite working eight to twelve hour shifts at Konoha hospital, Naruto still found he had enough time for research on the side.

It was amazing how much you could find the time for when you needed only a few hours of sleep each night. And for someone who, even before graduating the academy, managed to infiltrate the Hokage tower, doing it now was child's play.

The trouble was, even though he'd found a great deal of information, most of it interesting, the majority of what he'd learned was singularly unhelpful.

After the death of his family, he'd become more and more obsessed with learning how to become immortal. He fled from the village after being caught dabbling in forbidden arts, and was last seen in the company of a nuke nin from Mizugakure by the name of Kisame.

Naruto had also learned, disturbingly enough, that Anko sensei had a curse mark of her own. It made Naruto feel a certain sense of kinship with the older woman, but her marking had been far worse than his own. Orochimaru had inflicted the chakra parasite on his student and left her locked alone in a shed for two days, just as he'd done with nine other children. She'd been the only survivor.

Naruto remembered the horrible pain of the curse mark- Kakashi sensei had said that if it hadn't been for Kyuubii, the mark would have most likely killed him. Had Orochimaru known that the kyuubii would keep him alive? And if not, had the snake Sannin been trying to kill Naruto? Or was he simply that cavalier about gambling lives to waste the blonde on a long shot?

_That snake bastard's the sort that if he gives you ten ryo and you confirm the count on your fingers, you'd better recount your fingers before you put the money in your pocket._ Naruto mused sourly. _But he wasn't lying when he said the Yondaime Hokage was a traitor... which means he believes it totally. What does he know that the village doesnt?_

Naruto vaguely registered the sudden arrival of Kurenai sensei and Ebisu sensei, with Hinata and Shino in tow. At their prompting, he briefly gave the two jonin every relevant detail he could, save for Orochimaru's invitation, but held them back as they moved to investigate. "They left no traces- they're already gone."

Ebisu pushed his glasses up on his nose. "What else are you not telling us?"

Hinata looked uncertain, ready to protest, but Naruto forestalled her. "More than I really have time to tell you, but right now our other watcher is getting ready to leave. She's about twelve to fourteen centimeters shorter than orochimaru, by my best guess, although she hasn't stood up straight since I've seen her, so I might be off by a few centimeters either way. She has straight, dark hair, she's wearing a dress kimono with concealed snaps on either side all the way to the hip, and has spring loaded senbon box launchers on either arm. I think the needles are poisoned; either that, or she keeps the spring launchers somewhat heavily oiled. That rooftop-" Naruto pointed. "-and she saw me point; she's running away."

"Let her." Kurenai responded. "We need to get back to Konoha."

"Because of Orochimaru?" Naruto asked.

"If Orochimaru is here, then it stands to reason that he's after something- quite probably you." Kurenai said. "And whatever he wants from you is unlikely to be very good for your health."

"I don't think he's here to interfere- I can read lips, you know." Naruto replied irritably. "And from what he was saying to his subordinates, he's more interested in observing than anything else." Naruto cocked his head to the side. "By the way, in case you're interested, while we were arguing the woman got out of range of my sight. She's gone now."

"And I said let her get away." Kurenai snapped. "Remember that Ebisu san and I are the jonin sensei's here. You're too full of yourself and convinced you know better than we do- That sort of attitude on a mission can get you killed." Ebisu watched her out of the corner of his eye, but said nothing.

Naruto's response was to simply stare back at her, his face expressionless as he began counting off on his fingers. "Orochimaru is a known factor in all of this. I've fought him and one of the two henchmen he has with him; the other I've already seen in combat once before. His intentions, for the time being, are to observe, in so far as I can tell, and therefore I at least have the beginning of an idea as to what he and his can do."

Naruto levelled his palm facing upwards. "This other woman is a complete unknown to us. Aside from her physical appearance and the gear she was carrying on her at the time, we know nothing about her. We don't know what she wants or who she is working for. This is why I identified her as our biggest threat at the moment."

Shino chose this moment to speak up. "We will at least learn where she is going." Naruto's puzzled look made the smile widen somewhat. "Naruto, you didn't notice?"

Naruto blinked and shook his head. "Notice what?"

Shino chuckled, and raised a finger. On the end of it perched a tiny insect, gently fluttering its wings. "The female kikaichu beetle gives off a very subtle scent, almost undetectable... except to a male kikaichu. The male can detect that odor from miles away."

"You planted one of her? That fast, just from my description?" Naruto asked.

Shino nodded solemnly, his smile gone now but the remnants of it still lurking in his eyes. "Most people never really notice bugs."

Naruto turned inward. _Did you notice when he did that Bii-san?_

**YES.**

_Why didn't you tell me?_

**BECAUSE YOU CAN'T ALWAYS DEPEND ON ME- AND THIS IS A SAFE WAY TO POINT OUT TO YOU THAT YOU MISSED SOMETHING IMPORTANT AND HAVE IT STICK.** Kyuubii answered. **LEARN TO NOTICE FOR YOURSELF AND WE WILL BOTH LIVE LONGER.**

_Why are you so worried about that? _Naruto asked. _You never miss anything, not even when I do._

**KID, IF THAT WERE TRUE, I WOULDN'T BE COOPED UP IN HERE WITH YOU.**

Naruto didn't know what to say to that.

Instead of answering, he asked aloud, "Then since we have no means of tracking Orochimaru and his group, but we do have a way to follow our other observer, shouldn't we at least follow up on that?"

Ebisu seemed to give it some thought before quirking an eyebrow at Kurenai as he pushed his glasses up higher on his nose. Naruto suddenly found himself liking the jounin and elite sensei- while he was making good with his billing to remain in the background, his deference to her still managed to convey his opinion that Naruto's suggestion had merit.

Kurenai sighed and wiped at her forehead with the palm of her hand. "Yes. I admit you have a point." She said with a sigh. "Not the least because of the activity of Kumogakure in this area. If hostilities are to break out, it's best we know what we're up against."

--

"I'm almost certain it's the same group that has been tailing us since Hakato last week."

Tsunade grunted as she watched the pachinko balls tumble past stoppers and knobs, falling into the bottom of the machine. She smiled as a ball bounced into the center hole, and the 'Spin' light lit up. The reels began spinning automatically. "So there's no doubt in your mind... but no proof." Tsunade commented. "What are they like?"

A second ball dropped in the center hole.

"It appears to be a genin team formation, but with two jounin sensei's." Shizune answered. "One of the genin appears to be a Hyuuga, and a second an Aburame. The third genin wears leaf shaped earrings, I''m not certain what clan, if any, that he comes from."

A third ball fell in, and was closely followed by a fourth. Several spinning reels popped into existance in the lower portion of the screen, one a jumble, and the second a cat... a second cat... and a seven. "Damn." Tsunade muttered, as she launched another twenty-five balls into the machine. "And the jounin?"

"I don't recognize the man, but the woman appears to be Yuuhi Kurenai." Shizune answered.

"Ah." Tsunade said. "By my last information, that would be team eight. That other genin is Inuzuka Kiba- and you should have known that he was an inuzuka by his clan markings on his cheeks, not to mention his dog. The other two are Aburame Shino and Hyuuga Hinata."

Shizune frowned as Tsunade downed another cup of sake- her fifth since Shizune had been watching. "He didn't have any clan markings OR a dog. You should have more faith in me than that, Tsunade sama."

Tsunade arched an eyebrow at this. "Well, ordinarily I woudl agree, but after that run in last month with that Kishimoto clan nin..." The legendary medic chuckled as Shizune huffed, looking away with a scowl. She took the chance to sneak another cup of Sake. As the powerful alcohol burned its way down her throat, she sighed. "All that aside, if they chose to replace the Inuzuka boy, I wonder why? It's fairly apparent that Konoha wants me, or at least to find me, for some reason. And the Inuzuka boy was not only a core member of team eight, but his family make excellent trackers. I can't imagine why they would want to replace him." Tsunade launched another twenty-five balls; almost immediately three plopped into the center hole. The second to last ball made a fourth even as the reels for the first were still spinning.

A small cartoon character at the corner of the screen began watching the spinning reels while eating popcorn at a frantic pace. A cherry... a cherry... and a cherry.

Bonus balls plunked into the tray beneath the machine, and a center gate opened. Tsunade eagerly plunked more balls into the machine. It was in jackpot mode, now, but every spin of the reels was either a minimum payout, or a loss. Shizune was still amazed by it after all the times she'd seen it. _Tsunade sama is the only person alive who can lose money on a jackpot payout._ She thought to herself. _It's eerie, just how bad her luck is._ By the time the jackpot sequence has finished, Tsunade was actually behind by forty balls.

Tsunade seemed only slightly miffed by the results as she began launching the second tray of balls at her elbow into the machine.

Shizune finally tired of waiting for Tsunade to comment. "What do you wish to do about this, Tsunade sama?"

"Do?" Tsunade said, watching the machine intently. "We don't need to do anything, I think. We'll find out what Konoha really wants when they find us." Tsunade chewed at her lower lip as she sent another few balls into the machine. "We can wait for them here."

"They won't track us here." Shizune replied. "I crushed the beetle the Aburame kid sent after me a block from the vantage point where I was watching from."

Tsunade chuckled at her. "You weren't fast enough. I can smell it on you."

Almost on cue, the door to the pachinko parlor opened. Shizune turned to face the ninja who walked in, her eyes guarded and embarassed.

"Shizune, if I wasn't willing to meet with them at this point, we wouldn't still be here." Tsunade commented, as she launched another twenty-five balls into the machine and knocked back another cup of Sake. She didn't bother to look up from the game as the five Konoha nin approached, stopping only a few yards away from Shizune.

"It appears that you were right, Naruto." Said Kurenai, as she looked over Tsunade. Next to her, the male jounin pushed his glasses higher on the bridge of his nose.

"Focus, Uzumaki san." He commented.

The blonde kid cursed softly under his breath, and Shizune realized that he was practicing a chakra control exercise, as she caught sight of the pair of leaves dangling from his ears and noticed that they weren't earrings, after all. His ears weren't even pierced.

The boy whom Tsunade identified as Shino just stared at Shizune- or at least, that was the impression she got from him. It was so hard to be sure with those glasses on, yet despite the lack of expression on his face Shizune had the distinct impression that he was glaring at her resentfully.

The Hyuuga girl stepped forward. "Hello, milady." She said to Tsunade, completely ignoring Shizune. "By the descriptions we were given, you would be Tsunade sama. On behalf of the Hyuuga clan, I have been sent to ask for your help."

Tsunade smiled faintly but didn't bother to look away from the pachinko machine. She launched another dozen balls into the machine. "You don't say. You've come an awful long way. Pity that you're going back empty handed."

"You haven't even heard what we want from you." Hinata countered probingly. "Perhaps you should hear us out."

A ball fell into the center gate, and the reels began spinning as Tsunade watched. A seven... a seven... and a seven.

"I don't have to ask, and I don't want to know." Tsunade replied as the balls began dropping into her winnings tray. She seemed almost angry at her win. "I retired years ago. Konoha has no authority over me, and I have no interest in returning to that rathole for any reason. Every instinct I have tells me that what you want is bad news for me. So no. I refuse." Tsunade tossed back a cup of sake, and waved over a machine attendant to heat her up another flask. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm busy. Get lost."

--

Out of the corner of her eye Tsunade noted with interest that the blonde kid stepped forward.

"So this is the woman that your father wanted us to find, Hinata-san?" He asked, staring at the retired shinobi. His eyes washed over black with the RSM of a dojutsu Tsunade wasn't familiar with. "I see a woman under a henge, hiding from us, from Konoha, hiding from herself. I see an old woman trying to crawl into a sake bottle, so that when she leaves herself on a counter in a pachinko parlor one day, that the waitress can carry that bottle away, and that old bag never has to look at herself again." His head turned sideways, as he looked at the other machines, towards the roof, then back at Tsunade with those inky black eyes. "How small of you."

Shizune hissed at the boy angrily. "You know nothing, you little-"

"Naruto." Tsunade said, for the first time actually looking at him directly. Shizune shot a look at her mistress before she backed down with a visible effort. "Uzumaki Naruto- I should have known from the instant your instructor said your clan name. After all, to the best of Konoha's knowledge, you're the last member of your clan left." She snickered. "I guess maybe I AM slipping a little. Let's see if I can't slip a little farther." Tsunade took the flask that the machine attendant had set down for her and drank directly from it, not bothering with the cup. "We hit the bottom floor yet? No? Bottoms up."

Naruto watched her drink like a scientist examining an unusual result in a petri dish. "Hmm. Your body is metabolizing the alcohol quickly. Your bloodstream is filtering it through your liver at a high rate. And you almost automatically heal your liver through the damage you do to it. Almost as though you want to be drunk... but you don't dare fall asleep. Alcohol inhibits judgement. It lowers the barriers we use to hide our deepest pains and fears... so you want to be drunk, but you don't dare go to sleep." Naruto smiled a thin, little smile. "I wonder... What do you dream of?"

Shizune felt the blood drain from her face as she saw Tsunade's reaction. The older woman's finger tightened on the tray of Pachinko balls hard enough that the sturdy, durable plastic was beginning to warp and buckle. Tsunade's reply was soft, like a dagger wrapped in velvet, carrying a hidden edge. "My dreams?" She said. "You ask about... my dreams?"

"I know what it used to be." Naruto responded. "You were a medic nin, once. You fought to ensure that every shinobi cel in field operations would include a medic. You wanted to heal wounds, to save lives. I admire that. But I can't help but wonder what you saw... what you remember... what you still see when you sleep, when you're awake and sober, what images you see every time you blink your eyes... that the only thing you'll do is hide from it behind a haze of alcohol."

Tsunade shot to her feet, pachinko forgotten. Plastic balls scattered everywhere. The woman was taller than Naruto, who found himself at eye level with her breasts. Naruto turned his face up to meet Tsunade's glare.

"You little punk." Tsunade snarled between clenched teeth. "You've never seen a war. You've never even seen a battle. At most, you've had a couple of fights. What do you know, what do you think you know, about anything?"

Naruto's eyes didn't so much as blink as he answered, "I know that you were a medic nin once, called one of the greatest of all time, and you don't get that way unless being a medic means something to you. And I know that there's a kid back home that's been crippled, and everyone says you're the only one who can help."

Naruto's glare by now matched Tsunade's in its intensity. Shizune wore a look of apprehension that matched the ones worn by Hinata, Kurenai, and Ebisu. Shino was as unreadable as Aburame always were.

Naruto waited for a second, before he continued. "Where is your dignity? Where is your pride as a healer? I know it meant something to you once, so what happened?"

"What does it matter to you, brat?" Tsunade demanded, feeling somewhat cornered. This conversation wasn't going at all like she had expected. "You talk as though you were a medic, but you're no medic."

"How would you know?" Naruto's head tilted sideways. "The bottom of a glass makes a blurry lens to look through."

"I'd have to be drunker than this to miss the weapon on your back." Tsunade snapped. "A weapon like that doesn't leave room for anything else in your training. The girl was sent by her family to get me, you're clearly not related to her, and the Hyuuga wouldn't go to these lengths for someone who isn't a Hyuuga." Tsunade crossed her arms. "You aren't her boyfriend, are you?"

"Don't be ridiculous." Naruto said scornfully. "She's an heiress, and I'm an orphan."

"So what do you care?" Tsunade pressed, sensing a weak spot and going for the kill.

Naruto's reply was cool and devastating. "Because that's what a medic does."

Tsunade froze as memory rushed in, her eyes and mouth alike open in sudden shock.

_("But Dan, you didn't have to do that, you... you fool! Why do you always have to try to protect everyone?")_

_("B-because... that's what a hok- hokage d-does.")_

--

Naruto's casual dismissal of the idea of being with Hinata was tying her in knots. She wanted to say something, anything, to let him know the idea wasn't impossible, but the words caught in her throat. Unbidden, the words of Kurenai came to her as she'd spoken to team Eight before the Chunin exams.

_("Surprise, this can be one of the greatest tools in the shinobi arsenal. Luck, too, is a great tool. But what is surprise, and what is luck? Luck is when circumstances occur for which we are perfectly prepared. Surprise is the inability to act effectively due to indecision brought about by being uprepared. Therefore you must remember that Luck- and surprise- are both an illusion. As shinobi, we create our own luck. As a chunin, a commander, it is your responsibility to make decisions rapidly based on ever changing conditions. Even a mediocre decision made in a timely fashion is far superior to a perfect decision that is made too late. Surprise is in the mind of the commander. Assess the situation fast, decide quickly, act immediately. This is often the difference between success and failure.")_

In a flash of insight, Hinata realized that there was, here, a way to salvage this rapidly deteriorating situation- and she stepped forward. "Thank you, Naruto." She said, as Naruto and Tsunade stood staring tensely at one another. "I think this has gone fairly well. I would end this first round of statements and overtures, now that each side has had the opportunity to make their opening case."

Hinata faltered, uncertain, but rallied herself. _Surprise is in the mind of the commander! Act!_ "Since tempers are tense and this meeting was admittedly abrupt and ill-planned, it is best if all p-parties involved have time to consider one another's positions before speaking rationally." Hinata forced confidence into her voice and posture; the minor stutter seemed to have bypassed everyone unnoticed. She turned her head to face the woman that they had followed here. "I regret that I have not had the opportunity to learn your name yet. I am Hyuuga Hinata, daughter of Hyuuga Hiashi, and heiress to the main branch of the Hyuuga clan. I assume that you are either a retainer or servant of Lady Tsunade?"

The woman composed herself and bowed. "I am Yamanato Shizuna, and currently the apprentice to Tsunade sama. As such, I find myself serving her in these capacities and others."

Hinata nodded, attempting to adopt her father's demeanor when he spoke to guests of the clan. "Then I wish to schedule a formal meeting tomorrow for the purposes of returning Lady Tsunade to temporary duty in the restoration of-"

"Cut to the chase, girl." Tsunade interjected. "You don't have to try and wow me with pretty words. Just say it."

Hinata paused in the way she'd seen her father do so many times when speaking to the clan elders, before she nodded. "My cousin, Hyuuga Neji, has been severely wounded, and considered crippled, by a genin in the chunin exams who used medical ninjutsu on him. All prognosis is bad and the medics of the village say you are the only person who can heal the injuries he's taken."

Tsunade flicked a quick look at Naruto, before looking at Shizune. "We can discuss it." Tsunade reached for the flask of sake, but Shizune snatched it up and away.

"You'll thank me for this later, Tsunade sama." Shizune said. "Would you prefer morning or afternoon?"

--

Orochimaru smiled suddenly as the trio travelled. "You're in a much better mood than you were when you arrived earlier." He said.

Zabuza grinned. "Something that's been bothering me for a while's not bothering me anymore."

Kabuto, from the other side of the sannin, raised an eyebrow. "What would that be?"

Zabuza's grin widened. "The brat has my old sword."

Kabuto's expression was puzzled. "I would think, as one of the seven swordsmen, you'd be upset by that."

Zabuza outright laughed. "She's not mine anymore." He answered. "Kubikiri is a fine blade, one of the greats. She deserves better than to rust in a river, forgotten. She needs to be cared for, held in hands that respect her virtues and will honor her in combat. He plainly lavishes her with the attention and care she deserves, and uses her well. I hope he joins us without a fight."

"You don't want the sword back?" Kabuto inquired.

Zabuza laid a hand on the pommel of the sword strapped to his back in a gesture that was almost a caress. "I have a new lady, now."

The massive, double edged blade on Zabuza's back glinted in the light of the setting sun.

**End Chapter Twenty Four**

-AN: Well, I thank everyone that has stuck with me. I know I don't update often enough, but my time is rather heavily leveraged. This chapter was largely written to the tune of Veteran of the Psychic Wars- meaning that I had it looping in the background while I was transcribing it. You may or may not be comforted to know that my back log of written story is up to one hundred twenty pages and change after the conclusion of this chapter.

I beg forgiveness of my readers for another thing: My inconsistent spelling of words and names. If I were to try and roll back through the 150k or so words this story spans so far, I'd have a breakdown. Another one. And I don't really need one of those anymore.

So. An Omake, a preview, and then sign off.

**Omake:**

"I'm almost certain it's the same group that has been tailing us since Hakato last week."

Tsunade grunted as she watched the pachinko balls tumble past stoppers and knobs, falling into the bottom of the machine. She smiled as a ball bounced into the center hole, and the 'Spin' light lit up. The reels began spinning automatically. "So there's no doubt in your mind... but no proof." Tsunade commented. "But they know I'm here."

"Almost certainly, Lady Tsunade." Shizune said unhappily.  
"But I know they know I'm here. And since I can smell the remnants of the bug the Aburame kid had planted on you, then it safely stands to reason that they know I know that they know I'm here. But what they DON'T know is that I know that they know that I know that they know I'm here. So that gives me the edge."

Shizune stared at Tsunade blankly. "Um... how?"

Tsunade blinked back at her. "Uh.... just trust me, it does."

**End Omake**

Preview:

_Naruto had spoken up then. "You need to get that idea out of your head. I am not her boyfriend, only her protector."_

_Tsunade only smiled. "It would not be the first time the protector of the heir was selected as an appropriate match in marriage."_

_Naruto's voice was soft, but his words were crushing. "A marriage would never be permitted to a fatal crossing of kekkei genkai. It is already fairly well known that crossing Sharingan and Byakugan result in certain death for any who manifest both traits; I can only imagine how terrible the damage to any children whose bloodlines crossed her byakugan and my kamigan."_

_Hinata had never thought through to the logical conclusion of what a marriage to Naruto might mean. For a moment she tried to convince herself that it would be alright, that his dojutsu had to be an offshoot of the byakugan. Their eyes had so much in common for how they operated. _

_But deep down she felt a bubble of fear lodge itself in her soul, and it refused to let go. She finally blurted, "But Naruto, there's no guarantee-"_

_Naruto looked at Hinata, nodding slightly. "So it was me after all." He said._

End preview

Ja mata.

-AXENOME


	28. Chapter Twenty Five: Broken Dreams

**Chapter Twenty Five: Broken Dreams**

"Two more, last night."

Kakashi was pulling Hokage duty again, today. He wasn't certain of it, but he was beginning to suspect that Sarutobi sama was getting even with him for all the paperwork Kakashi had caused since he became a jounin. "Councilors or just aides?"

"One of each." Answered the ANBU. There was a moment of hesitation, then, "Hokage sama? There has been... talk."

Kakashi caught himself sighing as he'd often seen Sarutobi do. _Must be an occupational hazard. If any of this ever comes out and they get some crazy idea to put me in this job full time, I'll tell them exactly where they can wear these robes and how often they can flush it afterwards._ He fixed the ANBU with a tired glare. "Talk of what?"

The ANBU paused significantly. "The talk... whispers, really... they say that it is one of the Kages."

Kakashi grimaced visibly. He leaned back in the Hokage's chair and looked for a long moment at the pipe that had become so familiar to his teeth and his lips. A pipe that, while not rightfully his, had come to feel as though it's proper place was in Kakashi's hands. He took a single, long draw on it, tasting the fragrant smoke as it ran across his tongue, wisps of it wafting into his sinuses while the majority of it entered his lungs. The light rush filled his head as he held the draw for a moment for a few seconds, before letting it out in a thin stream through his teeth with a long, slow exhale in the direction of the window.

Kakashi felt the eyes of the ANBU on his and sighed again. "Torate, I trust your ability in remaining silent on the matter." Kakashi paused, then spoke in an honesty so complete that it was perfect misdirection. "I am at a loss to discern his motives for what he is doing... but I am certain, beyond any possibility of doubt, that this is the work of a Kage. And I am likewise certain that his skill at evasion exceeds any skills I possess to catch him."

The ANBU trembled. His voice was a slightly wavering whisper. "Hanzou?"

Kakashi did not answer. Instead, he tapped out the still smouldering wad of tabacco from the pipe into the ash tray on the desk. "Torate, get some rest. There is nothing more you can do for me here tonight."

Long after the ANBU, reluctantly, left, Kakashi sat at the desk, alternately staring at the empty, cooling pipe, and out the window of the Hokage tower. "What are you doing, now, and why?" He muttered.

Neither the pipe nor the night answered him.

--

Hinata felt cold panic seep into her bones. This wasn't supoposed to happen, not this fast. The negotiations were supposed to take longer, several meetings at least. Terms had to be dictated, a common ground met, offer and counter offer made. But on the first offer she gave, after some twenty seconds of consideration, Tsunade had accepted.

Hinata had voiced her surprise. "The house of Hyuuga had expected a longer negotiation."

Tsunade held up a hand, as Shizune started to speak. Tunade said, "I had time to think on something your boyfriend said. Honestly, it was the most important thing anyone had said to me in the last six years."

Naruto had spoken up then. "You need to get that idea out of your head. I am not her boyfriend, only her protector."

Tsunade only smiled. "It would not be the first time the protector of the heir was selected as an appropriate match in marriage."

Naruto's voice was soft, but his words were crushing. _"_A marriage would never be permitted to a fatal crossing of kekkei genkai. It is already fairly well known that crossing Sharingan and Byakugan result in certain death for any who manifest both traits; I can only imagine how terrible the damage to any children whose bloodlines crossed her byakugan and my kamigan."

Hinata had never thought through to the logical conclusion of what a marriage to Naruto might mean. For a moment she tried to convince herself that it would be alright, that his dojutsu had to be an offshoot of the byakugan. Their eyes had so much in common for how they operated.

But deep down she felt a bubble of fear lodge itself in her soul, and it refused to let go. She finally blurted, "But Naruto, there's no guarantee-"

Naruto looked at Hinata, nodding slightly. "So it was me after all." He said.

The silence that followed was awkward. Naruto was the one to break it. "Hyuuga san, your Byakugan can, amongst its other abilities, see chakra directly. I know of the Kamigan that it will merge, or attempt to merge, with the Byakugan. And any alteration to the Kamigan that incurs the ability to see chakra is invariably fatal to the bearer." Hinata's voice choked in her horrified gasp. He went on relentlessly. "For the sake of the children, the two kekkei genkai that the Kamigan must never be crossed with, are the Sharingan... and the Byakugan. What you want from me can never be."

As Hinata began crying silently, Shizune and Kurenai both began directing looks of hatred towards Naruto. It was Shizune who spoke both of their minds. "Regardless of how right you may or may not be, you are an unmitigated bastard. I hope you rot in hell."

Naruto turned emotionless eyes in Shizune's direction, and replied, "There can be no room for misinterpretation, error, or false hope. This unpleasant experience is far preferable to what she would live with every day of the rest of her life, as she stood over the graves of her children. This cannot be allowed to happen. Not to anyone, and especially not to the heiress of the Hyuuga clan."

Naruto looked away from all of them. "This meeting has filled its purpose and isn't meant to be a lecture on marriage, cruelty, or genetics. May we adjourn this meeting, Hyuuga-san?"

Hinata did not answer immediately; Naruto waited patiently for a minute. Finally, he said, "Hyuuga-sama."

The honorific got everyone's attention. Naruto almost never used 'Sama.' It just wasn't in his character to be so formal or to acknowledge special rank. Even Hinata was jarred- she looked up at him expectantly.

"Hyuuga-sama, I am currently assigned as your protector. I feel I must remind you that we are in hostile territory, and even though I am charged with your welfare I cannot stress enough the need for you to be ready to fight, act, and most importantly of all, to decide. You are the appointed leader of this mission. You MUST put aside your emotions, because if you are unable to lead, then we fail."

Hinata gritted her teeth, trying to force the emotion back down, lock it away. She mastered herself, finally, adjusting her features and expression until the only clue to her crying was her red rimmed eyes and the puffiness around them. Naruto gathered chakra to his hands and gave her a questioning look- Hinata gave him a short nod. He raised his hands to her face, reducing the swelling and tissue agitation until all traces of it were gone.

Hinata took a deep breath. We will end this meeting. We depart for Konoha tomorrow morning."

"Why tomorrow?" Asked Tsunade, casting a meaningful glance outside- it was only barely afternoon. "There's plenty of daylight left."

_Because I need to stall for time, and tomorrow morning will ensure we don't get back before the deadline._ Thought Hinata. Out loud, she answered, "I prefer that we all be rested well before we set out, and I assume you wish time to collect your things from wherever you are staying. Leaving tomorrow will give us ample time for both." Hinata stood and gave a short bow to Tsunade. "If we may meet again just inside the city on the south road, one half hour after sunlight?"

There were no objections, and the Konoha ninja took their collective leave.

Shizune gave a snort of disgust that she'd been suppressing. "Rude, insensitive, obnoxious, self righteous-"

"Shizune."

"He's heartless!" Shizune yelled. "She loves him and he doesn't care!"

Tsunade stared at the table for a few long moments. Outside, a solitary bird chirped softly, unanswered, but still vocal.

"He acts like her feelings don't matter!" Shizune said after a pause.

"Or perhaps... like feelings in general don't matter in the face of what is more important, hers... or anyone's." Tsunade answered distantly.

"What does she see in him?" Shizune grumbled, unappeased- Tsunade wasn't even certain the younger woman had heard her.

"'I don't know what she sees, because I can't see through her eyes. Just through my own.' The niidaime Hokage said that about his wife before he even became Hokage." Tsunade answered. "And I can only tell you what I see in him."

"What?!" Shizune demanded, whirling on her teacher. "What do YOU see in him, then?"

Tsunade looked at her apprentice with exhausted, age filled eyes. _She's so much like me._ Tsunade thought. _Mercurial, quick to anger when something offends her sensibilities... and Naruto is like me as well, the front he puts up, hiding his feelings about those around him from himself more than anyone else._

"Well?" Shizune asked. "What _do_ you see in him?"

Tsunade's eyes were sad, and she looked away from her apprentice. "The same thing I see when I look at you. I see a mirror."

--

Late afternoon. Ebisu sensei was watching as Naruto molded his chakra flow carefully in the fashion that he'd been directed to. After a point about two thirds of the way through the shaping, the jonin called out, "Freeze."

Naruto stopped his shaping, instead focusing on maintaining the exact pattern of chakra in absolute stasis, holding the charge of it, even his breathing at a bare minimum, as the jonin used a medical diagnostic jutsu to examine the patterns he'd woven. After a long moment, the jonin gave an approving nod. "Excellent. Proceed."

Naruto, however, did not, realization dawning across his features as it did across his awareness.

Naruto finally got it. The bizarre, exacting chakra control exercises that forced him to multitask, using multiple chakra pathways at once, the practice of one handed seals in tandem with complete independance of one another, the new techniques- all of it.

Many ninja were good enough to perform two jutsus in rapid succession. But there wasn't a ninja alive who could do two different jutsus at the exact same time... until now.

Naruto was angry with himself for not seeing the point of it all from the beginning. He was starting to understand just how much he'd been depending on the Kyuubii's keen observations and suggestions. Bit by bit, he'd been letting the Kyuubii do his thinking for him. Not all of it, and not all of the time... But still, any of it was too much.

_Bii-san._ He thought. _I enjoy our little talks... but from now on, don't point out anything unless it's someone's life on the line, or I ask you for help._

**IT'S ABOUT TIME. **

--

Late evening, the day of their departure for Konoha. Ten days until the Chunin exam finals, four days from home. The group had been maintaining a brisk walk through underbrush and game trails, avoiding the tree tops and sacrificing speed in favor of stealth. They were halted now, somewhat earlier than they ordinarily would have stopped, as they allowed Shizune and Tsunade to relax- although they were no strangers to walking, it had been some time since Tsunade had needed to get anywhere according to a time table, and they wanted to pace themselves to avoid tiring her out too much to fight effectively should the need arise.

Tsunade, of course, tolerated this deference just barely, and avoided making her annoyance known at their treatment... but Naruto could see it, just a little. This was no ordinary older woman, but a warrior, and while she might not have quite the crisp snap of youth in her step that she once did, this woman still had a few good fights left in her.

"You've done quite well these last few days, Uzumaki san." Commented Ebisu. "Your control has improved to a great degree."

"Thank you, sensei." Naruto replied almost mechanically. He was holding out both hands, palm up, while from the tip of each finger supported a kunai on its point. His chakra was carefully rotating each one in either clockwise or counterclockwise direction, and Ebisu was having him randomly change directions and speeds.

Ebisu could hear the note of Naruto's voice and sighed, pushing his glasses higher onto his nose. "Uzumaki san. What is on your mind?"

"Nothing." Naruto said.

"Stop the exercise." Ebisu ordered. "It's fairly clear that you've grasped the methodology and acquired the knack for effectively splitting your attention without sacrificing any aspect of your control. Yet I am concerned, Uzumaki san."

Naruto rapidly snapped up all the kunai, putting them away, then hopped from the side of the tree down to the ground. He unslung Kubikiri Houcho and created a Kage Bunshin, then began facing off against himself, replaying portions of the fight he'd had with Orochimaru. He was still in the beginning stages of it, but bit by bit he was constructing forms to practice. "Why?" He asked as he did so.

Ebisu was uncertain how to proceed. "Well, you are always studious, but your successes never-"

Ebisu never finished the sentence- the both of them turned their heads at the sound of shattering glass. Naruto engaged the Kamigan, then swore sulfurously. "We're under atack!"

--

The approach had been textbook. The joint pursuit squads from Iwa and Kumo had meshed excellently. When it became clear that the Konoha nin were stopping for the evening, the teams withdrew a little, observing as the blonde kid created dozens of clones and set them about their campsite, laying snares everywhere. The pursuit teams noted every snare, every wire, every glass globe he laid...

... And yet somehow, they'd still missed one.

Now, as two Iwa genin lay bleeding in the dirt, the remaining eight Iwa nin and six Kumo nin rushed in, hoping a rapid assault would make up for the loss of stealth.

Orochimaru, watching from a distance through the foliage with binoculars, was torn between concern that the Uzumaki brat was becoming too powerful, and glee on just how badly he and Tsunade outclassed their opposition. The boy was certainly a match for Kabuto, now- the finesse he'd lacked from his prior fight with Orochimaru was glaringly evident. The was no wasted motion, little wasted chakra, and each attack was measured and calculated to put himself and his next targets exactly where he wanted them. He exhibited none of the jutsu stealing abilities of the Sharingan, it was true, but much like the Sharingan his battle instincts seemed precognitive, and there were no holes in his situational awareness.

Within twenty seconds Naruto and Tsunade were fighting as though they'd worked together for years, and within another ten seconds the fight was over. _But then it's almost a given that the two would work well together._ Orochimaru thought to himself. _In the case of Tsunade, she's had no peers since I left Konoha, and I doubt Naruto has had a true peer ever. If something isn't done to separate the two of them, I may never get my hands on the brat._

He chuckled to himself as Tsunade surveyed the carnage left from one of the glass bomb techniques. _It appears she hasn't lost her fear of blood._ He noted.

"Kabuto." Orochimaru said out loud.

"Orochimaru sama?" Kabuto responded, at his side in an instant.

"I am going to need two body donors, one between mid twenties and early thirties, the other in his early teens, both male. Please fetch them for me and meet up with us outside out number three forward base."

"Yes, Orochimaru sama."

"Zabuza."

"Yeah boss?" Said the former Mizu nin.

"Bring the others."

"Kidomaru too?"

"No." Orochimaru answered. "Have him conserve his strength. I may be able to salvage him yet, if I play my cards right."

--

"Why do you do it?"

Kurenai stopped in her instruction and looked at Naruto. "What?"

Naruto was not following her instructions- his last attempt had raised a mound of earth two and a half feet high and about seven wide. At this rate, he'd be able to create a wall in only a few more tries.

But he wasn't practicing the jutsu, instead just standing there looking at her. "Why do you teach me? You should hate me for having to hurt Hinata the way I did."

Kurenai answered stiffly, "My feelings don't matter while I am on duty. The only thing that matters is the mission."

Naruto sat down on the mound of dirt, his elbows on his knees so that his hands hung between them. He suddenly looked very tired. "I miss sleeping." He said.

Kurenai was hesitant in her reply. "The medics said that your brain-"

Naruto cut her off. "That's not sleep. My brain kind of rests, my body relaxes, I'm not falling over or muscles aching or eyes burning but- but that's not sleep. I don't get to forget things for afew hours. I don't get to forget the past, I don't get to dream about better things. My body is changed. I don't even need to rest, really- my body re-energizes as fast as it expends energy, if I push myself hard enough. I can just be... on duty... every hour, every day... for the rest of my life." Naruto stood back up and began practicing again, submerging the mound flat, then raising it rapidly, to higher than he had before. "If I keep pushing, I don't even have to eat, I think. But I'm afraid to try it because my guess might be right."

Kurenai felt light headed and numb as she began to consider what such a life would be like.

Naruto kept talking. "Rule twenty-five of shinobi conduct: A shinobi must never show their emotions. So I don't let anyone know that I hate it, that I hate this, and between the Kyuubii and the changes to my body it doesn't really matter if I rest- it doesn't affect my performance. My mind was toughened when my body was changed, so I don't even have the comfort of someday just going crazy. And it's already happened a little, that I'm taking the watches, because I don't need sleep, and I'm guarding the perimeters of the base along with my clones because I know my own mind and can coordinate better with myself than anyone else, and when they find out back home I'll get sent on more missions, longer ones, and I'll come back, and they'll keep trying, keep pushing whether I want to push or not, they'll keep trying to find my limits, and I'm scared that either I'll fail and it'll hurt the village, or just as bad, I'll find- they'll find- that I have no limits, and this will be all I will ever know for the rest of my life."

Naruto stopped. Kurenai waited for a few long seconds as Naruto began to form the signs for the Doton he'd been practicing, then let his hands drop. He said nothing more, so she decided to speak. "Naruto... what _do_ you feel about Hinata?"

"Rule twenty-five of shinobi-" He began.

"Bullshit." Kurenai snapped. "If things are really this bad, when will you have time to talk to anyone about it?"

"Time?" Naruto questioned softly. "I have time. Lots of it. It's everyone else who needs more time. I don't even know if I can die. I don't know if I can get old."

"Not all of us can go without sleep indefinitely." Kurenai said with the beginnings of a smile. "So I don't know when I'll have time to listen- and has anyone else ever asked you about how you feel?"

Naruto stared at the mound of earth in front of him quietly for a minute, digesting what she'd said. Finally, he said, "Hinata was nice to me. She always has been, even before I got so strong that everyone was scared of 's been a good friend. She's a good person, and deserves a good husband, one who can make her happy, not someone who will be so buried in work that he'd never see her. She deserves a husband who will father children that won't die from his kekkei genkai. She deserves better than to be looked at the way people look at me. She deserves better than me."

"Aren't you a little arrogant?" Kurenai said. "Assuming you know what will make her happy. Assuming you know the future. Things change. And often, they change for the better."

Naruto snorted derisively, one of the few open and honest emotional displays Kurenai had ever seen him display. "Things only change when people want them to change." He answered. "And the way I am now, I'm too useful. Given the choice... between a perfect tool, and a human being... people will always chose the tool. And to them, I was never human. Only people can hope for change. All I can hope for is that I can at least be recognized as useful, instead of hated."

Naruto put a hand on the mound of earth, gripped a fistful of soil, and let it trickle between his fingers.

--

Temari blinked in confusion. "A mission?" She asked. "In the middle of the exams? What if he gets hurt or..." She trailed off.

"Good riddance." Snorted one of the older nurses, a woman in her mid twenties. "That thing shouldn't have been made a ninja in the first place."

"Why do you even want to know about that guy?" Kankuro muttered to her as they left. "He's just like Gaara, demon and everything."

Temari spun on her brother, just let out of Konoha hospital five minutes ago and she already wanted to smack him. "He's not like Gaara! Naruto, he's... well..."

Kankuro sighed. "Temari, he bought you a weapon to replace the one he broke. It's not a bouquet of flowers, it's not a box of chocolates, and it's not a damned diamond. Plus, he's two years younger than you. You're acting like an idiot, and besides, you already know why..." He trailed off.

And she did know why it was pointless to even think about him in anything other than clinical terms. Because in less than two weeks, Konoha was going to be eradicated, likely Naruto along with it- judging by his performance in the final exam preliminaries, he was canny, even somewhat skilled- but against Gaara he stood no more chance than anyone else.

In fact, the only way she could see for Konoha to survive was for someone to warn them ahead of time.

--

There comes a time in many lives where there is a convergence of circumstances. A time when people, connected by chance but unaware of their connection or its significance, engage in distant actions that are none-the-less highly symetrical or complementary. One example is the old tale of your ears burning or a sudden sneeze from nowhere when someone is talking about you.

Of course, many discount this sort of thing as old wives tales and superstition...

But still...

From culture to culture...

These sorts of ideas...

Keep...

Coming...

Up.

And at the time they are brushed aside.

But after the fact, when stories are swapped, memories exchanged, there is a degree of chagrin as those involved realize the coincidence that took place, and admit to one another that it was JUST coincidence, and nothing more. And they even believe it.

Until waking up in the middle of the night, in utter solitude and darkness, where they know better.

That connection has meaning. And in our barest, truest moments of self honesty, we know it to the very marrow of our bones.

Just like premonition- just because you do not believe in it...

... Does not mean IT does not believe in YOU.

--

Two people, in two separate places, feel something coming. Something coming very soon.

--

Sarutobi Hiruzen awoke out of a solid sleep, entombed in breathing earth far from prying and searching eyes. A stab of fear paused his beating heart as his mind's eye conjured again the picture from his dream of a three headed serpent coiled companionably around a monstrous racoon, and behind it, a hand held their leashes, a hand whose thumb wore a ring that he could not see clearly, but seemed to be made of intertwined vines and filled him with terror.

Then the scene was gone from his mind, his heart started beating again, and all that remained was the vague memory of a nameless dread along with the vision of a burning leaf.

Sarutobi had a moment of full wakefulness with which to ponder this, but his nights over the last month had been long and arduous, and before he could formulate any interpretation, sleep welled up once again and claimed him once more. By the time he awoke late in the afternoon, all memory of it was forgotten as he clambered through soil to the surface and began his work anew.

--

Naruto formed one handed signs, independantly in each hand. This was his first genuine attempt at two simultaneous jutsu, and his training with Ebisu sensei was paying off magnificently. He could feel his disparate chakra paths, felt the two separate, distinct patterns he was molding, and now possessed the focus to see each through to its conclusion.

It had culminated in the combinatory assault he was testing out here.

In a split second earth rose up around the target dummy he'd set up, encasing it in a dome of soil, the interior of which was converting into glass even as it rose out of the ground. With a thunderous clap the dome sealed off, triggering the volatile, chakra infused glass to explode inwards, from literally every direction at once.

His mind's eye pictured what would happen to the foe, the repeated layers of inward blasting glass, coupled with the ever thickening wall of dirt closing in, crushing his foe like a fist of water as clear as glass, closing around a konoha academy student, blood spraying like a fountain in the morning sun-

Naruto screamed, and the spherical dome of dirt collapsed inward. Naruto felt a moment of irrational terror as his Kamigan engaged, but all it revealed was the shredded target dummy. As Ebisu shunshined to the ground from his tree blind, Naruto swallowed hard.

"F-forgive me, I saw- I mean, I must have- Must have been dreaming."

Ebisu sighed. "Uzumaki san, you are well versed in the craft of the Shinobi- you have taken to your training with an aptitude and a fervor that is rare and a joy to anyone who truly cherishes teaching. I am therefore certain you know the importance of silence during a mission." He pushed his glasses higher on the bridge of his nose, and said, "Naruto... regardless of what your medic nins say, you cannot function without adequate rest. I am taking you off night watches for the remainder of the mission. If we come under attack, you will join us as normal, and during the day you are expected to pull your own weight as normal. But you have not had any down time in the two and a half weeks we've been gone, and I am enforcing this as team leader."

Ebisu paused, and forestalled Naruto's protest with an upraised hand. "My word is final on this matter. If I have to, I'll take my case directly to the Hokage." Naruto frowned, then his expression calmed slightly as he settled a little. Ebisu continued, "If you need help sleeping, speak to Tsunade sama. But I will not see a shinobi of your caliber go to waste if any effort on my part can change it."

Naruto sighed. "I thought you didn't like me. I know that all you see when you see me is the fox. Why do you care now?"

Ebisu gave a small smile to the blonde genin. "That was true, once. But I think it is best summed up by something the Sandaime Hokage once told me when I was a new chunin: 'You cannot, no matter their faults, no matter your wishes, you cannot hate someone who is truly your student. And when you are their teacher, you cannot help but love them.'"

"When did he say that?" Naruto asked.

"When I asked him why he let Orochimaru run away, instead of killing him for his crimes against the village." Ebisu answered, his smile growing somewhat sad. "And no matter that the fox is within you, you are nothing like Orochimaru. Go to Tsunade, Naruto. Get some rest."

--

Temari was bored.

Back home, when she was bored, she would seek out her father, and request a mission, or else go to the Kazekage building and watch the various departments work.

Her father was almost a stranger to her now, and here, all she could do was sightsee and train. Bother had long since lost their charm.

So now, she had little to do except sit and run her fingers across the filigree on her fan.

"Stop it."

Temari looked up from the park bench. Kankuro was standing over her, looking annoyed. "Yeah, you heard me." he said. "Stop thinking about him."

Temari gave an exasperated sigh. "I wasn't thinkin about Naruto."

"Sure you weren't."

"I was thinking about how I have nothing to do." Temari insisted.

"Go train." Kankuro replied, sitting down next to her on the bench with a tired groan.

"Unlike you," Temari said drily, "I haven't been cooped up in the hospital for two and a half weeks. I'm sick of training."

"No less boring in there. At least you got the option." Kankuro scowled. "I still don't have the energy to do any training."

"I thought you were recovered from the poison." Temari said.

"Yeah, mostly. But they had to use broad spectrum antivenoms and neutralizing agents to keep me alive long enough to remove the poisons from Karasu, and those things have their own shares of side effects." Kankuro replied. He leaned back, looking at the Konoha citizens passing by in their day to day activities. "Look at these people. They go about their way without a care in the world. They've never wanted for anything."

"They aren't the problem. The daimyo of Kaze no Kuni is the problem." Temari countered. "It's his choice to cut our funding that's hurting Sunagakure no Sato."

"So we're taking out the competition."

"Konoha is the strongest of the hidden villages."

"Stronger than any one of us." Kankuro said, plucking a piece of grass, and nibbling at the soft end. "Not as strong as three of us together."

"And if you're wrong?" Temari asked. "If father is wrong? What then, brother?"

Kankuro spit the blade of grass out and looked to the sky. Rather than answer, he reached into a pocket and pulled out a blue book. He tossed it into Temari's lap casually. "Here. You said you were bored."

"What's this?" She asked.  
"Konoha's bingo book." He answered. "Latest edition."

Temari began flipping pages casually. There was no more talking for half an hour or so as Temari perused the bingo book, comparing it to the suna version she carried with her, making mental note of any differences she found as she did so.

Then she reached Kirigakure listings.

"Kankuro... How new is this bingo book?" She asked.

"Huh?" Kankuro blinked at her owlishly. Sometime while she'd been reading he'd fallen asleep. "N'nides'ka?"

"How new is this?" She repeated.

"Guy at the desk said it was only put out just before the exams." He answered. "Why?"

"Well, a lot of the lower listings, B-ranked and below, have a few differences, but up until here any A-rank and S-rank listings are virtually identical." Temari passed him the book.

"Mamochi Zabuza. Bingo Rank A, Jonin, status active. Signature Jutsus, suiton based. Signature weapon, Kubikiri Houcho." Kankuro frowned as he saw the handle of a zanbato peeking over Zabuza's shoulder. "Hey, I've seen that thing."

"That's not what I wanted to show you." Temari snapped waspishly. "Here's the Konoha version." She handed Kankuro the other book.

"Mamochi Zabuza, Bingo Rank A, Jonin, status Unknown but presumed Dead..." Kankuro turned the page, and frowned again, stabbing at the page with his finger. "Temari, I've-" Kankuro suddenly froze, and his face was pale.

Temari looked where her brother was pointing. His finger was resting on the full view picture of Kubikiri Houcho on the next page. This was a picture that Sunagakure lacked of the weapon, and Temari felt a chill run down her spine. "That's-" She stopped.

"You think it might be a copy?" Kankuro asked.

Temari ran her fingers across her battlefan. "We both know the answer to that." She replied.

Kankuro flipped back to the preceding page to look into the eyes of Zabuza's picture. "We're making a lot of assumptions based on little data."

"No." Temarui shook her head. "We're drawing conclusions based on a number of previously disconnected bits of information that, with the addition of the datum we've gained today, seem to form into a coherent, logical whole."

"Maybe there's another answer?" Kankuro said. "Maybe someone gave it to him."

"Maybe you didn't notice, but most of the genin in Konoha are terrified of him, save for his own team and one or two others." Temari said. "And he seems to not be much liked by any of the civilians, from what I saw of him before he left."

Kankuro looked puzzled. "But he got you that war fan. There has to be SOMEBODY here that likes him."

"They didn't make my new fan because they liked him- a piece like this, and in less than a full day? That's the kind of thing you do for someone that your entire clan owes something to, like several life debts." Temari said, wincing slightly. "You could serve a clan of master craftsmen faithfully for decades with distinguishment and still not get something like this."

Kankuro let out a low whistle. "And he just gave it to you?"

Temari nodded. "He already had a weapon, he said." Temari flipped the page back to the picture of the Kiri nin's zanbato. "The shinobigatana no kirigakure would never simply leave their weapon laying around. The only way to take it would be to pry it from his dead fingers."

"So the only real possibility is that he's the one who killed Zabuza." Kankuro finished for her.

Temari nodded.

"Then we need to speak to Baki." Kankuro stated grimly.

**End Chapter 25**

AN: **Spoiler alert**. I have been following the Chapters being released for Naruto every week from Kishimoto quite faithfully. And now, as of chapters 459 and 460, I must respectfully say: Kishimoto sensei... You have corrupted your own work. You have taken a great concept and befouled it. You have defiled Pain's character and utterly compromised his personality and protrayal by having him suicide to bring all the konoha villagers back to life. Screw you, Kishimoto. You fucking Moron.

Look at it realistically: A fifteen minute(tops) conversation with someone who contains the LAST REMAINING PIECE of your ultimate doomsday weapon, your ultimate goal in sight, the untold thousands of people you've killed to see your dream become reality, and the final stage of your plan about to be revealed and executed... and then a quote from a book from the teacher you surpassed and KILLED is gonna make you go all sweetness and light? AAAAAGGGHHHH KISHIMOTO SAN ARE YOU INSANE?!?!

Ugh. **End spoiler**.

My apologies for the incredible lateness of this chapter. My time is increasingly leveraged and with the impending doom of the free market economy I find myself working ever harder and longer for progressively less gain. Maybe I should move to Japan and invest in the new generation of autonomous robots, sitting pretty and getting fat off the profits, right until the inevitable robot rebellion in which I will get to display my marvelous prowess at the construction of weapons with which to ping uselessly off of their indestructible titanium-unobtanium alloyed armored shells. Maybe if I can use my useless home made weapons to play the god father theme on multiple killer bots, they'll keep me as a pet for their amusement.

_"1101010010111000100010011011001011001010010100100000101011101010010101001. Ha ha ha."_

Or something like that.

Never mind. Sleep deprivation is a really amazing thing.

Next time: Naruto is Home, People Talk, and The Conspiracy is exposed.

Ja Mata.

-AXENOME


	29. Interlude: Requiem

**Interlude Two: Requiem**

"So. After all this time, all this distraction. It was you all along."

Sarutobi smiled thinly past the trio of Root ANBU at Danzou. "Danzou, for all your years of service to Konoha, first as ANBU, then afterwards as Councilman, as well as all the... benefit Konoha has derived from the same, it is my duty and priviledge to announce- and enact- your retirement."

"A kind and thoughtful gesture, Hokage sama." Danzou replied drily. "Although I cannot but help wonder if you can afford my retirement package." A snide reference to the shinobi who stood prepared to give their lives to protect him.

"Fear not in that regard." Answered Sarutobi, drawing Enkoo Enma in his staff form and levelling him at the line of ANBU. "I thought to plan ahead for it, and have brought it here with me."

Enma allowed his head to extrude briefly to glare at Sarutobi. "You are wasting time." He snapped. "And you don't have much to begin with."

"On the contrary, Enma sama." Danzou replied, as numerous members of Root appeared around them. "I too was prepared, and he has no time at all." Danzou nodded. "Kill him."

_(Flashback)_

_"I am old, my friend."_

_Enkoo Enma said nothing, merely eyeing Sarutobi as he spoke. The two of them simply sat on the stone head of the Shodaime, overlooking the waterfall, here, at the Valley of the End. Sarutobi was quiet for a few minutes, but Enma was patient. Sarutobi hadn't called him here to fight, obviously, so he must need someone to talk to, and Enma counted Sarutobi Hiruzen as one of the few beings, spirit or human, that was truly worthy of his friendship. So he waited. _

_Finally, Sarutobi picked up the thought where he'd left off, turning his eyes away from the waters below to look at Enma again. "It is true... three shinobi wars I have lived through, three times I have watched ninja go to war with one another, and leave destruction in their wake. Certainly my age is nothing to you... but then, you and your folk only grow stronger with time." Sarutobi chuckled mirthlessly, as he turned his head back to face the waters below. "But we only get some few short decades... from the dawn of our lives to our nightfall. Most of us live fewer decades than we have fingers between our hands, many... fewer than even fingers on one. And I have to ask you, Enma, my old friend... how can you stand us?" Sarutobi turned his head to the sky, and his eyes reflected pain and bewliderment and fear. "We with our mayfly lifespans and our endless struggles... how we never seem to learn from the mistakes of our fathers, how can you stand to be tied to such short sighted, hopeless creatures?" _

_Sarutobi fell silent. Enma waited a few more moments before he spoke. "Hiruzen. This isn't like you. Always when we have spoken in the past, you've seemed so full of hope for your village, for the young ones growing up around you. What's wrong?"_

_(End flashback)_

Sarutobi dropped a smoke bomb and leaped straight up, adhering to the ceiling as he drew a cluster of shuriken, spare hand flashing seals before he'd even touched the stucco. The shuriken adhered to the end of Enma in his staff form, as Enma gave a mild magnetic field to assist. "Kinzokuton: Hagane Kagebunshin Bakuha!"

For a moment, the shuriken adhering to the end of the staff seemed to hover, then, shuriken appeared in successive layers, before a double pulse of magnetic force first temporarily magnetized then repulsed the deadly throwing stars in all directions. There were a number of short cries that accompanied the impact of razor sharp steel finding a home in fragile flesh; the cloned shuriken dissipated, leaving behind only blood, pain, and corpses.

"Foolish." Sarutobi murmured, hopping down to the ground- Root was a subdivision of ANBU, is this all the warmongers could manage?

The smoke dissipated, and Sarutobi discovered things were not as he'd imagined... and that Konoha's troubles went far deeper than corruption.

_(Flashback)_

_"Everything is wrong." Sarutobi answered. "I accepted the position of Hokage from the Nidaime- and I did it because I believed I could protect the village. But that was before I signed the Monkey contract." He fell silent again. _

_Enma propped his chin up on folded hands in a gesture too human to be casual or accidental. "True enough- I wasn't there to see or know you during the war. So tell me."_

_The Sandaime gave a deep sigh. "It was... a war to end all wars. We had lost the stones- only a few of us in ANBU and the Hokage himself knew what the war was really about. We'd sought to use the stones to enhance our own prowess, but the techniques we'd created had become a double edged sword. It all came undone, you know, shortly before I became a genin. I was still in the training program when a classmate of mine- Hiroshi Hongo- first arrived. This was before the establishment of the academies and training and indoctrination of the shinobi to be was not uniform. _

_"You see, he was a captured nin. A hopeful who one of the jonin captains had captured alive, that had displayed a rare talent for shuriken combat, had even managed to seriously wound a chunin despite not even being a fully trained genin, due to his ability to instinctively calculate trajectories and arcs of motion to a milimeter. After his adoption into the Mitsurugi clan- they were powerful then, although only one of them is left, now- he was analyzed by the Nidaime to see if his talent for spatial mathematics could be incorporated into a new Kekkei Genkai. We had no idea of it at the time, but the boy had a piece of metal lodged in his body, one that gave him a link to someone else, permitting the other to see through the boy's eyes. We never did find out who it was who stole the first of the stones, but we did eventually learn that it was through Hiroshi. And so the sanishi no testugakusha was stolen by Mizugakure and the first Shinobi war began." _

_Enma knew the story- he was ancient and well learned. But even so, he'd never heard it from Sarutobi's point of view, and it was an interesting look into the psychology of this revered human._

_"Konoha of course was desperate to get it back- but we would learn that this was only the first stone to be stolen, each of those we'd lost by a different village... And only afterward, when we found that it was through Hiroshi that they'd learned access to the chamber of the stones, did we learn that the first and second Shinobi wars had been deliberately orchestrated by someone."_

_(End Flashback)_

Sarutobi shuddered as he saw Danzou standing calmly, holding a slender steel rod with his single remaining arm- the same one with which he'd slain many an Iwa nin during the third shinobi war. The shuriken had scarred the metal terribly, but the weapon remained hale, as the real shuriken Sarutobi had thrown clung to the metal as though glued there- or else, stuck there magnetically.

As though to confirm the worst possible outcome, the shuriken fell to the ground, the jutsu released.

Sarutobi could see that not all his shuriken had been deflected- a terrible thing indeed, for the bandages which had concealed a "ruined" eye had been cut away. Revealing a cheek that was lined with multiple studded piercings.

_(Flashback)_

_"This was during the Second Shinobi war, and I was ANBU, when Hiroshi himself attempted to kill the Nidaime. He almost succeeded... would have, except somewhere, deep within himself, Hiroshi found the strength inside to fight the one who was controlling him, even after all the years during which he'd been under the other's control. And his hand froze for a split second, the Nidaime turned and drove his Raijin through Hiroshi's chest, splitting the piece of metal through which Hiroshi had been controlled."_

_Enma raised an eyebrow. This was something he hadn't known about. "Go on."_

_"He only lived for a few minutes longer, but he told us much about our real enemy... it was because of him that the Bijuu were distributed around to each of the ninja villages... not for the balance of power... but so we would have an early warning when he started to make his move again... that the jinchuuriki were being targetted to be stolen away again for whatever purpose he had for them."_

_Enma nodded. "An effective system, I would think." He commented._

_Sarutobi nodded in return. "It gave us our warning, as well, when suddenly the Jinchuuriki no Rokubii broke free of his sedation in Amagakure five years ago." Sarutobi gave a despairing chuckle. "He was ready to make his move."_

_"Did you ever learn his name?" Enma asked. _

_"Yes." Sarutobi said. "His name was..."_

_(End Flashback)_

"Pein."

'Danzou' flickered a faint smile. "It seems my reputation precedes me. But I suppose it doesn't matter... Simply that I will have to take a more direct route with you."

"So, then." Sarutobi said. "You were uncontent with merely one nation, and now... you intend to take a second. And that really is you in there this time, isn't it? Not like with Hiroshi."

"Hiroshi?" He said thoughtfully. "Ah! Yes, that was what... forty years ago? Shortly before I killed your Nidaime. Yes... I am the owner of the soul that lives within this shell, and the previous inhabitant is long gone."

Sarutobi thought fast and hard as he faced this foe- one who had already killed one Kage, and was the one who had attempted to gather the ishi no tetsugakusha, willing to destroy the five shinobi nations and kill untold thousands of people to get them. Now he was almost certainly more ruthless than ever- and years craftier. But he had a chance... that if his soul TRULY DID inhabit this body... that he could end the threat to Konoha tonight.

Then with no warning he created a single Kage bunshin, and the two of them charged forward together, the clone forcing Pein to defend while he himself formed hand seals as quickly as possible. The clone dispelled in a flurry of strikes but Sarutobi seized Pein by his shoulders- one with an arm that fell useless to his side and the other a weakened stump- as Pein found himself unable to move.

"Wha-what is this?" Pein managed to gasp- and suddenly, behind Sarutobi, he could see a towering, terrible figure, raising clawed arms, a kodachi in its teeth. The two arms shot forward into emptiness, and suddenly burst out of the Sandaime Hokage's chest, into Pein's, and he felt a soul searing coldness.

A shadowy figure pulled out of Pein's body, then a second... Pein's souls were being channeled through the body in Sarutobi's presence.

--

Miles away, in another nation, a man with numerous facial piercings falls over, stone dead, his open eyes showing nothing, no pain, no fear, simply... a frozen portrait of a man in life, now given over to death.

--

In the morning, a woman is found dead, laying in the hut of an old, crippled man. He is a hermit; he doesn't know who she is- much as most don't know who he is. He has lived alone for decades, learned to hold back the darkness and bloodlust and now simply waits for it all to end. None know him personally- and this is how he prefers it.

All those who knew the Jinchuuriki no Yonbii are dead.

--

The flow of souls stopped.. started to retreat within the body. Sarutobi grimaced- it was now... or never.

The piper must be paid. "SEAL!" He roared.

The figure behind Sarutobi took the knife from its mouth; the knife struck. Severed.

Pein screamed like the souls of the damned before the body fell over- and Sarutobi with it. He felt himself drawn from his body, his soul helplessly writhing in the grip of the Shinigami. With him, he knew, was the soul of Pein.

Sarutobi felt himself and Pein being crammed into the maw of the Shinigami, and the torment began as his essence was rent assunder... but he knew a two shining truths that let him know peace.

Pein had lost something. Sealed within the belly of the shinigami was the ability to take other bodies... and the souls of three of them. Sarutobi knew that there were only five more left, and now, there would never be any more than this. Now they could win. If only there was some way to tell Konoha this... his successor... Anyone...

But the second truth. Konoha was safe now. Pein's body here in Konoha was gone. Tomorrow, the third exam finals, the genin would be competing, ready to show their strength. He might be heralded as a traitor, his effigee excoriated from the Hokage mountain... but he had done his duty.

_(Flashback)_

_Sarutobi wound down finally after an hour and a half. A tale of pain. Of loss. Of empty victories and fallen comrades and people a generation later starting the cycle over again, certain they could win this time. At last, his words spent, his grief expended, Sarutobi looked over at Enma again, and smiled faintly. "It's all a matter of perspective." _

_Enma tilted his head to the side. Beneath them, the waterfall flowed ceaselessly, pouring water unending into the lake and river below. At this distance, the sound was a light rumble, hiss of foam, easily forgotten in the moment. It was a moment where the sunlight shone on the faces of the statues, mist in the air from the pounding water wreathing their legs in rainbows. Long ago, a terrible tragedy had happened, one much like what Sarutobi had described being repeated endlessly... And yet, now, sprung from that tragedy, beauty now held sway. _

_Here, in the midst of all turmoil, there was still peace._

_"Enma... I want to thank you." Sarutobi said. "Tonight, we finish this."_

_Enma looked at Sarutobi as he slowly got to his feet with a grunt. "Hiruzen... did you find what you were looking for?"_

_Sarutobi smiled. "I don't know. But... I think I found what I needed."_

_(End Flashback)_

Enma was gone, now. He never received the request from Sarutobi... but he knew that Konoha would have wanted to know what the Sandaime had found. Perhaps he didn't know all the details, but he could at least tell them everything he knew. Now, there only remained to find the highest ranking member in the village. With both Danzou and Sarutobi dead, that left... Hyuuga Hiashi.

Behind him, Enma's final gift- a white chrysanthemum- lay on Sarutobi's chest, above the seal mark on his belly.

_Fare well, my friend. You will be missed._

**End Interlude Two**

In many ways, Sarutobi's death came as a surprise to me when I first envisioned... but the clarity of vision I needed to record it wasn't really present until tonight, where I pretty much wrote it from the beginning to the finish. I'm not going to be content to let this story wither half grown on the vine, and my muse is loosening up a little, so I hope to be able to continue the story for you before very much longer.

Thank you all for your responses, messages, reviews, and patience.

-AXENOME


	30. Chapter Twenty Six: Countdown

Edit: spelling. TY to goku90504 for spotting that.

**Chapter Twenty-Six: Countdown**

"Welcome home, Hinata-sa-" Was as far as the branch girl was able to get out before Hinata tore past her, bolting up the stairs and locking herself in her room. Her crying was loud enough to be heard even here at the front door.

"Juuko, what happened?" Asked Hiashi as he came down the opposite stairwell, casting a meaningful glance in the direction of Hinata's room. Hiashi was clearly rattled; it was entirely unlike him to be so direct.

"I-I'm not sure, Hiashi sama." she replied. "She said nothing as she came in, simply ran up the stairs and into her room."

Hiashi frowned. "Was she hurt?"

Juuko shook her head. "Not that I could see, milord."

Hiashi's frown turned brooding. "That will be all, Juuko." He said, before turning and walking up the stairs towards Hinata's room.

--

People talk.

The Hyuuga family made no mention of why Hinata had returned to the village and gone immediately into seclusion. Nor did they make public mention of any reason Hinata would request extended leave from duties for three days. And they certainly would never mention why Hinata would choose to avoid Naruto after her return, nor why she would quickly excuse herself from any conversation in which he was brought up. No accusations were made, no blame assigned, no censure or disapprobation made about the blonde genin, by the Hyuuga family. Nobody could get an answer from Hinata, or Shino, and none were brave enough to ask Naruto.

But still, in absence of hard facts, rumors flew in their place.

As more rumors passed, certain rumors gained popularity, and by the time they were spoken loud enough to reach the ears of the parties involved, the public at large were convinced they already knew the truth.

The Hyuuga clan eventually made formal statement that no improprieties took place, nor did Naruto in any fashion force himself on or take advantage of Hinata during their mission. They even went so far as to announce Naruto's permanent appointment as Guardian of the Heir of the Hyuuga clan only the day before the Chuunin exam finals.

Yet despite this measure, the damage was done. Almost every kunoichi genin and most of the chuunin had filed request to never be placed in a mission that included Uzumaki Naruto. Just to be safe.

And each justified in their minds that if the rumors were flase, why would so many other kunoichi not wish to be teamed with him?

Rumors are like storms- few understand fully the forces that set them in motion, but none can deny their power. And rumors, like storms, can leave devastation in their wake.

A few words spoken...

A few words left unspoken, until too late...

What difference can they make? Only Everything.

This is not to say that everyone believed the rumors- indeed, everyone who knew Naruto even casually rejected the idea as ludicrous. One jounin in particular who'd been on repeated missions with him put forth the opinion that he actually had no hormones at all.

But a rumor of ill nature about a jinchuuriki is almost guaranteed perpetuation. Guilty until proven innocent. And no defense witness can be found who could be called unbiased.

This state of affairs would not last forever. Three days after the attack on Konoha the council would be compelled to unseal the records of the mission to seek out and retrieve Senju Tsunade. With the revelation of the facts of the mission, even in the eyes of the public at large, Naruto was rightfully exonerated, by which time it was far too late.

Words have power. Spoken or unspoken, they can change the course of history.

All because People Talk.

--

Even at Ichiraku ramen, Naruto felt uncomfortable. It had only been two days since his return, and people were treating him like a leper. Hinata had been avoiding him completely- and he felt a little betrayed by this. He had understood that her feelings were hurt by what he'd told her on the return trip to Konoha, but reality didn't care much one way or anotherhow one felt about it. Some things nobody could change; he knew that better than anyone.

And now, when he'd finally felt he'd made real, visible progress, that he'd begun a genuine change in how people saw him, now conversations once again stopped, people crossed streets to avoid him, and looks of general dislike greeted him any time he went out in public. About the only difference was that the dislike was laced heavily with fear, and nobody- openly- asked or demanded that he leave when he walked into a place.

It was pretty damned thin comfort, that difference, but it was the only comfort it looked like he was going to receive.

When he'd left for this last mission, he felt he'd finally made progress at last. Yet now, he felt keenly the loss of that progress to back where he started in his academy days, and it tasted like a mouthful of bitter ashes. He'd never gotten a fair chance, courtesy of the Kyuubii, not that he resented the Fox any longer. It had been true to its word in its dealings with him, it never judged him- much of the time, it even helped him. He really had no secrets from Kyuubii now, and it startled him to realize that Kyuubii was the closest friend he had.

Naruto registered a motion to his left, and his eyes shot sideways to track the bowl of cha-shu ramen as it slid in front of him. A quarter of a boiled egg garnished the top with a generous amount of crisp vegetables and sliced, marinated pork cutlets arranged in a circle around the noodles in the middle. A large dab of hot mustard was perched proudly on the rim of the bowl. His eyes slowly turned up to look at the young waitress tiredly. "Arigato gozaimas, Ayame san."

Ayame seemed a little disappointed at the somewhat stiff 'San" as she replied, "Do itashi mashite, Naruto kun," with a slight stress on the 'Kun.'

Naruto's brow crinkled- there was something in her voice that made him look back at her. "Nani? What is it?"

Ayame was blushing slightly as she looked away a moment. "Um... Naruto, you're a boy... I was hoping you could give me some advice."

Naruto froze with his chopsticks halfway to his mouth. "Advice?" he asked. "Advice about what?"

Ayame sat next to him on the neighboring stool. It was pretty clear to see that something was bothering her. "Well... it's about my boyfriend. I was hoping you could tell me what's going through his head. You see..."

Naruto spent the next half hour hearing Ayame describe her relationship with her boyfriend... at length. She talked about their last date, what she'd worn, how much time she'd spent getting ready, and her distress when he'd finally picked her up and didn't say a thing about how she looked. She'd waited through the whole date for him to say something.

"... Anything would have been fine- even if he didn't like it, I don't mind, it was a new style for me, but it's like he didn't even care how much effort I put into that outfit or my hair. And then on our way back, I caught him looking at another girl who was wearing her hair the way I used to, so I asked him if he liked my hair the old way better and THEN I find out he didn't even notice I changed my hair at ALL."

Ayame stopped, and looked over at Naruto. He hadn't eaten his ramen; mostly he'd sat there with an increasingly poleaxed expression as his eyes glazed over. "Uh, okay." he said a little belatedly. "So he, uh, was looking at another girl. And... um..." Naruto was floundering helplessly.

"What is he thinking?" Ayame asked, almost pleadingly. "Am I really important to him? I mean, he didn't even really notice the other girl's hair, he said, and I kind of believe him because he OBVIOUSLY didn't care about mine, but is it because I'm some sort of a game to him, or should I be happy that he's with me because he likes my personality? And I WANT to be pretty for him but he doesn't even help at all and he won't tell me what he likes..."

Naruto was no longer hungry. At this point, he just wanted to escape.

_Maybe,_ he thought to himself, _being social isn't everything it's cracked up to be._

"...and so THEN I thought to myself, maybe he's cheating on me? And if he was, I was gonna KILL him, I mean, what has she got that I don't?"

--

The words hung in Hiashi's brain like a fog, blocking out any clear thought.

Sarutobi Hiruzen, Sandaime Hokage of Konohagakure no sato, is dead.

The old man was the legendary professor. The mightiest ninja alive. Enma had to be mistaken. "How?"

The Monkey king seated across the desk, scratched his chin a moment, before looking up at Hiashi. "He fought Danzou to the death. Based on what I gathered from things Hiruzen has told me in the past, Danzou was in fact a plant, a spy, for someone named Pein."

Hiashi was confused for a bare second, before the pieces fell into place for him. "The counselors. Sarutobi."

"Even so." Nodded Enma. "And he fell, accomplishing his goal- his mission complete. A truly fitting end for the finest of shinobi."

"So the Hokage we've been seeing since the purge... this was an imposter, or a kage bunshin?"

Now it was Enma's turn to be confused. "There has been an impersonator? No one knew? Hiruzen had assumed that he would be listed as nuke nin, and struck from the records."

Hiashi frowned thoughtfully. "Enma, how much longer may you stay here?"

"I may yet remain for a few more hours." Enma replied. "I have one last task I must accomplish before I depart for my realm in any case. But I can spare some time for what you might need."

"Then this is what I request of you..."

--

Paperwork. It's the bane of every Hokage since the Shodaime.

Even the surrogate Hokage.

Kakashi rubbed at his eye, trying to clear the blurriness from both his sight and his brain. His attention was disrupted by the sudden shunshin of two persons into the Hokage's office- something that _never_ happened unless there was an emergency. It was Kurenai and Gai.

With them was the Monkey king Enma.

Kakashi felt hope well up inside himself for an impossible moment before logic asserted itself, and his stomach sank into his shoes. The grave expressions on the faces of Gai and Kurenai said it all, but Kakashi refused to allow himself to believe it.

_Don't say it, please don't say it._ He thought to himself numbly. _Don't make it real._

"Hatake san..." Said Enma, his bright eyes solemn as he spoke, "It is my sad duty to inform you that Sarutobi Hiruzen, Sandaime Hokage of Konohagakure no sato... is dead."

Kakashi's eyes burned suddenly as his chest tightened. Something hard and painful had formed in his throat; swallowing around it was difficult. After a moment, he forced his lungs to take air, willed his voice to remain level, and asked, "How did it happen?"

--

"What do we do about this?" Asked Anko.

The door opened to the secluded compound, and Anko, Kakashi, and Gai turned to face the arrival. It was Morino Ibiki. "I strongly disapprove of being brought out here to perform a barrier jutsu on a compound building without being brought into the loop of what's going on." Ibiki growled. "Especially since I have no idea what I'm not supposed to see and therefore unable to avoid."

Kakashi answered grimly, "There isn't any avoiding this one. We're hip deep in double S class pile of trouble and you're the only one qualified for this that we- and Konoha- can trust."

Ibiki swore sulfurously. "I should have known from the moment I saw who was here. I'm getting slow in my old age." He sighed in resignatioin. "So who is it this time?"

Kakashi, Anko, and Gai exchanged a look before Kakashi responded, "Perhaps it's better if we just showed you."

The four of them went inside the main house of the compound.

There, in the courtyard, under a long open air hallway, stood the Monkey King Enma, over the bodies of seeveral dead shinobi. Directly at his feet, shirt torn away to reveal the Shiki fuin, was the Sandaime Hokage. His face was peaceful, serene, and except for the lack of breathing and the waxy paleness of his skin, he might have been sleeping. On his chest lay a white chrysanthemum. At Ibiki's raised eyebrow Enma nodded, indicating that he was the one to have placed the flower.

Ibiki felt a crushing wave of emotion, the likes of which he hadn't allowed himself to feel in a long time. He forced himself to show nothing, cleared his mind until it vanished, then gave Enma a direct look. "How did it happen?"

Enma frowned, his simian face almost seeming human as he did so. He described the events, his talk with Hiruzen the day before, the suspicions that Sarutobi had regarding their foe.

It took some time, but finally Enma finished. There were a few minutes of silence before Ibiki finally said, "So then, Sarutobi sama ordered you to report to us?"

Enma shook his head. "He was not alive to do so- I instead reported to the highest ranking person in the village that I knew of."

"And thus, your conspiracy gained another member." Said a voice from the shadowed side of the courtyard. "And it is well that your co conspirator's story held true. Otherwise, we might have had an incident among the higher jounin of the village to rival the Uchiha Massacre."

Hyuuga Hiashi walked calmly forward, still speaking. "I understand the choices that your group made. It is indeed vital that the other villages not be aware that we no longer have a Hokage to lead us. While there was a possibility that he might return, masquerading as though he never left was a viable plan. With Hokage sama dead, our crisis is now compounded. We have no leader, and with the number of visitors in Konoha today to see the Chuunin exam finals, our territory and security are compromised thoroughly. We cannot afford to have no clear chain of command- we need a new Hokage. Immediately."

Ibiki shot a glance in Kakashi's direction as the Copy nin began speaking. Something in his voice made Ibiki pay close attention. "But we cannot afford to simply make the change in front of all our visitors from the five nations and beyond. The transition is too sudden, and we would still have no clearly defined chain of command."

"The charade would indeed need to continue until the end of the exams. Then, the new Hokage could be sworn in, and Sarutobi dies peacefully in his sleep." Hiashi confirmed. "I am not... comfortable with this in its entirety. It feels as though I am desecrating the Sandaime's legacy by this deception. But weighing my sensibilities against the good of the village is no contest at all. This cannot be revealed, now, to anyone who is not a part of our contingency plan."

"'Our?'" mouthed Ibiki silently.

Gai, meanwhile, regarded Hiashi thoughtfully. "And I imagine the best candidate for Hokage would be you, wouldn't it, Hiashi-sama." The 'sama' was ever so slightly stressed in his tone.

Hiashi didn't miss it, either. "And what exactly would that mean, Gai-san." He asked, although like Gai's earlier comment, it was less a question than a statement.

Tact was right up there with committed relationships for Anko- both were entirely, ludicrously unnnecessary. "I'd have thought the implication fairly obvious. In fact, at first I thought he was being deliberately insulting, but I guess it turned out he had a better measure of your mental capacity than-"

"Anko! Silence!" Kakashi barked. The tokabetsu jounin fell quiet, but her glare lost none of its venom. Kakashi's appraisal, while no less intense, was still more respectful and contemplative. After a moment, Kakashi gave a short nod. "Whether or not it is what Hiashi sama meant to say, it remains quite correct. We need a strong Hokage, especially now, and there are few who could claim par with Hiashi sama." Kakashi leaned against a support beam for the open air hallway and folded his arms. "But you will not be able to fill in for the Hokage today. You will be expected to be in the Hyuuga section to oversee the matches."

Hiashi gave a thoughtful nod of his own. "Then I can expect your support when selection of Hokage is made?"

Anko chose this moment to burst out with, "Are you both insane?"

Kakashi fixed her with a level glare of his own. "Unless you can propose an alternative, Konoha has little choice."

Ibiki had been busying himself with the preparation of the Hokage's body, before he struck a match and set it ablaze. As the body burned, Ibiki turned to the others. "Actually, I'm willing to bet I know the reaction of the village elders. Tsunade and Jiraiya are both in the village for the first time in years. They have two candidates for Hokage that they would select in a heartbeat. And all due respect, Hiashi sama, both are more... qualified for the position."

Hiashi snorted. "Hokage is more than mere prowess- it is judgement and strategy and diplomacy. Do you truly believe that they would select an irresponsible pervert or an alcoholic gambling addict, both of whom have voluntarily broken formal ties with Konoha, over the clan head of the most powerful kekkei genkai in Konoha? Those irresponsible, irrational-"

--

"-disloyal pair of buffoons are your first choices for Hokage?" Asked Hiashi in disbelief.

Ibiki's smirk, standing off to the side as he was, remained visible only to Hiashi. The Hyuuga's features darkened; for Ibiki, it was enough.

It wasn't enough for Hiashi. "I urge the council to reconsider. We are in direst need of more than a strong ninja, but likewise a strong leader. Most especially not a gambling wastrel or a lecherous fool."

Linali shared a glance with her aide, then the remaining council members, before finally looking back at Hiashi. "Very well, then, Hyuuga san." She said calmly. "For the time being, we will ignore the criticism implicit in your lack of confidence... On one condition. Do tell us exactly what it is you deem necessary in a leader- for a hasty judgement is in no-one's best interests, for all that there remains only two hours yet before the next and final public appearance of the Sandaime Hokage, at the Chuunin exam finals."

Hiashi knew he was being baited, and probably mouse trapped as well. None-the-less, his best course of action would be honesty. "The times when sheer personal strength was adequate to aspire to leadership are long gone. A leader must be shrewd, must be diplomatic, and must have the ability to lead by example, to compel others to excel for a greater cause than themselves. A leader must show finesse, responsibility, and most of all, loyalty to the cause- or village- which they are to lead. And it is for these reasons I-"

"That is all well and good." Linali interupted. "We asked you of the traits inherent in a candidate, not your opinion of previously named candidates. May we assume that you answer has been rendered to this council in full?"

Hiashi's lips were a tight, thin line. "Hai, councilwoman."

Linali nodded. "Then we are in agreement, Lord Hiashi. Our prime choice for Hokage shall be Jiraiya of the Sannin, followed by Senju Tsunade as our second choice."

Hiashi stood up, affront clear on his face. "Have you taken leave of your senses?!" He demanded.

"Hold your tongue!" Sanpped Shinzashi Hyuuga. "You have no right boy! Don't think it has escaped me how you evaded the letter of the law with the execution of the Privelege of Hyuuga. You'll come to regret it, too. But I will not allow you to disrespect this council in such a fashion. There are a great many things that even you, head of the Hyuuga Clan, are not privy to. So hold your tongue carefully, whelp, before you cause more damage than you already have."

_('Any children of Byakugan and Kamigan will die should the kekkei genkai be crossed.")_

Hiashi's traitorous memory reminded him of how his actions in absence of vital knowledge had already caused his daughter a great deal of pain. As he wrestled with this uncomfortable memory, Elder Linali spoke up again. "By the criteria you yourself have set forth, Jiraiya is the best option we have. I have a number of evidences to support this, first and foremost... how much do you know about Akimichi Choji?"

Hiashi's brow furrowed. He knew the name, and the clan, and that said genin was from the most recent graduating class at the academy. Other than this... "Admittedly, very little."

"Akimichi Choji." Spoke a a husky man in his early fifties, himself the representative of the Akimichi clan, Kamakiri. "Twelve years old. Middling grades on graduation from the academy. Fourteen D-rank and four C rank missions. Has displayed good combat ability in the preliminary round to the third exam of the Chunin Exam. Eliminated from the preliminaries by the Jinchuuriki Uzumaki Naruto." He finished with obvious pride.

Hiashi nodded. THAT was where he'd remembered the name from. The recording of Naruto's match. "Very well. What bearing does this have in the topic at hand?"

"Jiraiya has selected him as his newe disciple in his position as gama sennin." Linali answered. "Understand, Hiashi, that while Akimichi Choji has shown good progress since his graduation, he truly is only a little more than average. But Jiraiya claims that what the boy lacks in native talent he more than makes up for in character and determination. And from what the Akimichi clan has related, this discipleship has given them great insights into the inner workings of their kekkei genkai."

"He is a good teacher, then." Hiashi responded. "But there are many such in our village."

"Despite his younger reputation as the madman of Konoha, Jiraiya is shrewd. He has been out of the village of late on an extended mission, managing nearly the entirety of Konoha's intelligence network, keeping tabs on the movements of all possible threats and points of interest to the village. His leadership skills and management skills are unquestionable. His ability to be diplomatic is easily demonstrable in that, in the space of a little less than a month he has convinced the Akimichi clan to confide their clan techniqques and kekkei genkai secrets. His willingness, without orders or payment, to take on as apprentice one of the more mediocre gennin simply for the sake of teaching him shows that he can devote himself to something higher than his own wants and needs. And his loyalty to the village is clear from the fact that his years of service as spymaster to Konoha were done not only without payment but were in fact funded by Lord Jiraiya's personal money." Linali's eyes were as hard as diamond chips and almost as sharp. "Do not presume to think that we make any judgements or choices lightly, Lord Hiashi. Now, if you have nothing else to say?" Linali took Hiashi;s silence as assent. "Then we are in agreement. Our choices for successor to the Hokage's position stands."

Hiashi sat down, both chastened and thoughtful. Linali looked to the head of the table where two seats that had lain empty for several months now sat filled again.

Koharu, seated in one of them, nodded back. "Very well. Linali san, what is our next order of agenda? We are short on time."

--

Homura and Koharu stood side by side in front of the office of the Hokage. One more moment and they would be within the office to begin the official transition out of the reign of the Sandaime and into the term of the Godaime.

"Are you alright, my friend?" Murmured Homura.

"It is the life of a shinobi." Koharu sighed. "Violence, chaos, and destruction run in our wake- except now, team Saru is no more."

Homura chuckled. "And of our generation, now, there are only two." He replied. "I always told him I'd outlast him."

"You retired." Koharu countered. "So technically, he outlasted you."

"He retired first when Minato became Yondaime." Homura replied.

"He came back, though, and served another fourteen years. So in actuality it wasn't truly a retirement, simply a long sabbatical." Koharu said with a trace of smugness.

"A very long one." Homura conceded. "Even in death, the old bastard still wins."

Koharu favored him with a sly, sidelong glance. "Even after all these years, you still can't let it go."

Homura raised a grey eyebrow back at her. "An interesting observation from a woman who attempted to again win his heart from almost the day his wife died until our short hiatus before the exams. And at your age, too!" He added with a snort.

Koharu said nothing for a few long moments, as the slight humor of the situation bled away, and the gravity of what had come to pass reasserted itself. "Pride, love, fear, and hope. All of them only grow stronger with age. And as they grow we lose our ability to change, clinging to what we know as the world around us moves on and leaves us behind."

Homura nodded. "Prehaps it is a mercy that we grow old and die." He agreed. "Better that than to linger on in memory and regret when everything we've ever known is gone."

Homura and Koharu waited a moment longer, before Koharu reached out and opened the door, and the two of them walked into the Hokage's office.

**End Chapter 26**

-AN: My apologies for the exceedingly long delay. I had a lot of real life issues crop up, and a great deal of work to redo. I am issuing my first retcon- REAL retcon- of the story, in that Naruto is, in fact, listed as Namikaze Minato's son, rather than his godson. Nothing else would really work for the story, despite my efforts to the contrary over recent weeks. It isn't the ONLY reason I'm so delayed, but it is certainly a major contributor.

Next time: A seemingly bloodthirsty monster terrorizes a Konoha entrant- and it's not Gaara? The Chuunin exam finals begin!

An omake, then sign off.

Omake: Training Has its Hazards.

"And this, Sasuke, is my A class assassination technique:" Kakashi said, as electricity crackled around his hand. "The Chido-"

Kakashi's face went slack in shock as Sasuke huddled up on the ground. "Don't taze me, Bro!"

End Omake

Ja Mata.

-AXENOME


	31. Chapter Twenty Seven: Jumping at Shadows

-AN: Revised for typos.

**Chapter Twenty Seven: Jumping at Shadows**

Blood was everywhere. Shikamaru, Naruto, and Sasuke looked over the gory corridor for several long seconds, before directing their collective gaze at the suna nin at the far end of the hallway, who stood wearing a manic, unhinged grin. Gaara- wasn't that his name? -chuckled. "Blood... sweet blood... where is your friend, the one with the ice? Is his blood warm or cold? Mother wants to taste it, It's so hot in the desert, and she would enjoy a nice cold drink."

Naruto took a step forward. "I thought it was my blood you wanted so badly. Now you toss me aside for my team mate? If he wasn't so much prettier than me I'd be offended."

Naruto's forward progress was halted by Shikamaru's hand on his shoulder. "Hey, Naruto, wait." He said. "Remember what Kakashi sensei said. The suna nin aren't to be touched outside the arena. Inside the arena, they're fair game, but outside it we have to leave them alone. Regardless of circumstances we can't engage them. You can beat him in the tournament but nowhere else."

"Kill." Naruto snapped angrily. "I don't know who these guys were but this guy slaughtered them, probably without reason or purpose."

"I have a purpose!" Gaarta yelled, and his expression of manic glee took on a barely pereceptible note of desperation. "I am a predator and I exist to end the existance of those whom I chose for prey!"

Naruto growled softly, and the force of his sudden killing intent was like a hammerblow on everyone in the hallway, even Gaara. Naruto's voice, when he finally spoke after a moment, was a gravelly whisper. "You're no predator and you're no ninja. You're just a rabid dog run loose for far too long, and I will put you down like it in front of all those people you came here with, people you've terrorized for as long as they've known you." Naruto spun on his heel and began walking back the way they came. "Sasuke, Shika, let's take the other entrance. I'd like to let the world watch him die out there, and that's not gonna happen if I keep looking at him."

Team Akachi fell in with him as they walked, and Sasuke snickered softly. "You assume that you're the one who's gonna fight him. I might be the one fighting him instead, you know." The Uchiha commented as they walked.

Naruto shrugged. "Either way. But if you do end up his opponent, kill him, okay?"

Sasuke's response was an amused grunt.

Naruto pushed on the door leading out to the main entry way, and the three genin walked over to the opposite side of the room, still filling up with spectators who were headed to the bleacher stairs. The crowd parted almost unconsciously for the three as they moved, oblivious to the looks they received in passing.

Shikamaru sighed suddenly. "What do you guys know about Tenten?"

Naruto pulled the door handle open as they turned the corner, holding it open for the other two as they entered the second hallway. Shikamaru and Sasuke waited as Naruto held the door for Lee, who had just come in the arena himself. The spandex clad boy grinned at them. "Thank you for your youthful display of politeness! Your sensei has instilled in you a chivalry unmatched by most of our peers!"

Team Akachi stared blankly after the taijutsu specialist in a numb sort of uncertainty as he continued down the hallway, confident and cheerful.

Naruto shook himself, trying to erase the strangely disturbing vision of green spandex from his mind. "Uh... Tenten? Long range combat enthusiast with a taste for sharp objects and loud explosions?"

Sasuke blinked at Naruto, before he recalled Shikamaru's earlier question. "Hn, she's got a pretty high tolerance for pain. Most women do, actually, compared to guys."

Shikamaru scowled. "I already know all that. No, I mean her personality. Is she stubborn, does she know when to give up, does her pride overwhelm her common sense?"

Sasuke put it together in a little under a second. "This is also about Gaara, isn't it? You want to know if you can safely throw the match without getting someone killed."

Shikamaru sighed. "Depends on whether Lee wins, or not."

Naruto let the door shut with the three of them in the hall. As the latch clicked closed, he leaned back against the door, while the three of them considered this. After a moment, Shikamaru rubbed his chin and said, "Sasuke, you know Lee and his skill set the best- you were cycled in with him team for a while. Do you think he has a chance against Gaara?"

Sasuke frowned thoughtfully. "That's anyone's guess. I take it if Lee wins, you're gonna throw the fight with Tenten?"

Shikamaru stuck his hands in his pockets and shrugged. "I haven't really decided yet. Part of me just wants to blow it all off."

"And?" Naruto prompted.

"And part of me says I'll never live it down if you two get promoted before I do." Shikamaru replied with a sudden grin. "I'm trying to decide which is less troublesome."

The three boys shared a quiet chuckle of comeraderie, before the gravity of their situation set in. After a few seconds, Naruto said, "Beat Tenten, concede against Gaara. I think I can make sure he doesn't kill Lee."

"How do you plan to do that?" Sasuke asked with a raised eyebrow.

Naruto smiled. "He really wants to kill me, right? I'll let him know that if he kills anyone else that I'll forfeit our match, and he'll never get the chance."

Sasuke favored Naruto with his trademark smirk. "And what if I beat you in our match?" He asked. "What then?"

Naruto returned a thin smile in Sasuke's direction. "If you can, then he'll want to fight you instead. Either way, he'll win, and get to fight the strongest genin in the tournament."

"I won't go easy on you." Sasuke warned. "You're my next goal."

The two stood staring at each other, challenge and respect reflected in both of their eyes. Shikamaru suddenly felt a deep pang in his chest as he watched the two of them, standing in the hallway, feeling suddenly left out.

"I'm not on either of your radars, am I?" He murmured, a crestfallen expression on his face.

Naruto and Sasuke blinked at one another, then together looked at Shikamaru. A hint of hurt, frustration, and sadness laced his voice as Shikamaru said, "You two stand there and talk as if you're the only ones in the tournament who matter." He paused, then said louder, "I won't let you leave me behind!"

Naruto and Sasuke were both startled by this proclamation, but slowly, they began to smile at him.

Sasuke said, "You can't have it both ways, Shikamaru. You either take the easy way out, or you keep up with us. What do you want more?"

Shikamaru froze. It felt like futures hung on his words, his choices, here and now. For a moment he couldn't think, couldn't blink, couldn't even breathe.

_("Son, you'll learn someday that to not choose is a choice in and of itself, and often, it's the worst choice you can make.")_ His father spoke from his memory.

Shikamaru's face was troubled. "I need... time to think about this."

--

The arena stadium was slowly filling with spectators, dignitaries, and nobility. Gai watched impassively from the Kage stand as he reflexively practiced muscle resistance exercises in his legs. So practiced was he that his legs did not so much as twitch as he perfectly balanced muscle groups against one another. He'd done this for so many years that the exercise was below the level of conscious thought, and so, unhappily, brought no level of distraction from the issues in the forefront of his mind.

He still wasn't certain why it was him up here in the Kage stand instead of Kakashi, and with assurances of invasion afoot the council wanted the strongest of Konoha's jounin in the Kage box, ready to match the Kazekage when he finally chose to make his move. A brief debate had suggested Jiraiya instead, but the council was reluctant to bring the Gama sennin out of the field and pinned into a stationary location, when it was known that his former team mate was on the move.

Knowing all of this didn't help Gai that much. Two of his pupils were competing down there today and he wanted to be there for them... but he couldn't be.

Gai could only comfort himself with the fact that, after today, this disaster- and the necessity of his intermittent impersonation of the honorable Sandaime Hokage- would all be over.

--

Ibiki monitored the arena from the Proctor's box. "Yamato, Genma, are the barrier experts in place?"

From his headset came the replies, "Affirmative." "Yep."

--

Temari, Kankuro, and Baki all stared at Gaara in alarm and disbelief. It was Baki who put voice to his thoughts. "What?"

"Uzumaki Naruto has promised to forfeit his match with me if either of my opponents before him die at my hands. I want you to delay the attack plan."

"But-" Temari began, feeling panic rise. Konoha was counting on the attack happening at the end of the first round, as their original plan had entailed.

Gaara cut her off. "If the attack happens before we fight, or Uzumaki forfeits, he may die before I get the chance to kill him, at the hands of another." He gave a terrible grin. "Uzumaki Naruto is my prey. I will kill anything that gets in between us."

As Gaara walked away, Baki began massaging his temples. "I will speak to the Kazekage. Temari, you or Kankuro speak to the Konoha nin."

--

"Kazekage sama." Greeted Gai. "Welcome."

"I thank you, Hokage sama." Replied the Kazekage.

Something about the Kazekage's reply bothered Gai. "You seem... uncontent, Kazekage sama. Is everything alright?"

The Kazekage cast him a sidelong glance. "Merely impatient. I'm quite eager to see how Uzumaki san holds up against my Gaara."

Gai's hackles rose immediately, although the reason was yet buried in the back of his mind. Keeping his expression light, he replied, "You surprise me, Kazekage sama. I had thought you would look forward more to seeing Uchiha Sasuke compete today, to measure the talent of Sunagakure against the last member of the Uchiha clan."

"So I had thought as well," the Kazekage answered, "until I learned of the performance of his more talented teammate during the second exam and the preliminaries from my subordinate Baki." The Kazekage's face was hidden, but Gai could clearly see the crinkles in the corners of his eyes as he smiled. "I imagine the fight between those two boys will be almost as entertaining as the one between Gaara and the victor. Don't you agree, Hokage sama?"

"Of course." Gai responded calmly. Inside, he was anything but the calm surface he portrayed. He reflected on the information he'd gotten from the ANBU mere moments before the Kazekage arrived. _So the Sand team requested the Kazekage delay the attack, rather than the other way around. Then they were likely telling us the truth that the delay was to keep Gaara from going out of control unpredictably. _Gai looked back down into the ring, feeling he was somehow missing something. _Something is very wrong here._

--

"It's go time." Said a proctor from the door. Genma chewed his fukimibari thoughtfully.

"Well, we're as ready as we can be. Let's just hope the last match doesn't bring down the house around our ears." He muttered.

--

"Lee." Said Neji quietly. "It's time."

Lee looked solemnly over at the Hyuuga prodigy. He'd decided to spend the lead up time in the stands next to his team mate rather than wait in the competitor's row below. It had struck him as unfair that the strongest member of their team was the only one who would not compete today. And they were a team- he would not leave him to witness this all alone.

Despite the ministrations of Lady Tsunade, Neji was still stiff and sore. It would be a long time, six months or more, before he regained his full strength and flexibility. On seeing Lee's gaze, Neji frowned slightly. "Stop it."

"Stop what?" Asked Lee, puzzled.

"Stop pitying me." Neji replied, with a little heat in his voice.

"I don't pity you." Lee said, surprised. "I envy you. I don't know if I could have survived such an injury as yours and still have the strength to continue on."

Neji laughed, a cold sound. "It was not strength. Just fate."

Lee directed a glare at the Hyuuga genin angrily. "You're a fool. You could have settled for living your life as a civilian- people in your clan do it every day. You chose- YOU CHOSE- to fight against it and suffer, so that you could rise above it all. Don't cheapen that, don't cheapen yourself, by calling it fate. Life is ten percent what happens to us and ninety percent what we do about it- that's what Gai sensei once told me."

Neji's snort was filled with derision. "Sounds like something he'd say."

Lee was silent for a few seconds, before he finally said, "It's time, though. Remember... your opponent gave you a way out. None of this would have happened to you but for a choice you let your pride make for you."

The Hyuuga prodigy froze, looking at his team mate oddly. A voice rang out over the arena, announcing the first two contestants: Lee and Gaara.

Lee started to go, when Neji stopped him. "Lee."

The Taijutsu prodigy stopped, looking over his shoulder.

"Don't let him catch you. His sand will break even your bones. And don't mess around with him."

Lee nodded, understanding what Neji was really saying. "Thank you. And... when you've fully recovered... I'll be waiting for you."

A moment of understanding passed between them, and Neji felt lighter. Nothing miraculous, nothing amazing, but suddenly, he felt like there was a reason for his path to continue on.

--

Lee casually hopped the distance from the stands to the arena floor, bypassing the competitor's box altogether. Calmly, he began walking towards the center of the arena, where the proctor and Gaara both awaited him impatiently. Lee's gaze was focused on the Suna genin, his outward calm belying the whirlwind of thoughts running through his head. _Sand._ Lee thought to himself. _That's his weapon. It's fast, and he seems to be able to do almost anything with it. Weapons, defense, even basic ninja tools. _

As Genma announced the match, Lee dropped into a defensive stance, eyeing the sand nin warily. Gaara simply stared back at him, arms folded across his chest, with a slightly resentful look on his face. _Neji is quite correct._ Lee decided. _Gai sensei, I apologize, but it seems I must take them off._

"Any questions?" Genma asked.

"A moment, if you please, proctor." Lee asked, before elaning down and removing his leg warmersm then unstrapping his weights. They fell to the ground with a shuddering thud that heard and felt even to the stadium seats. A hushed murmur went through the crowd at this as Lee nodded.  
I am ready."

Gaara's eyes widened and his mouth broke out into a hungry smile, but then his expression gave way to indecision and frustration as his eyes shot up to the competitor's box where Naruto sat. After a seeming agonizing moment, frustration was replaced by resignation, before Gaara gritted his teeth, mastered his expression, and muttered, "Proctor, I too, am ready."

Genma raised his hand, then brought it down. "Begin!"

--

The Proctor leaped backwards as Lee took a single step forward. Then Lee seemed to vanish as dirt and dust sprayed into the air, obscuring the arena floor for a few seconds, as powerful, thunderous impacts could be heard. A frew seconds after the impacts ended, the dust cleared, revealing Lee crouched at the far end of the arena floor, panting gently, while where Gaara had stood there was a masive dome of sand.

Lee trotted from side to side easily for a few seconds, popping his neck and stretching his arms across his chest, assessing the defensive measures his opponent had taken. Finally, he nodded to himself, as if decided, before he gave a short hop to the arena wall before kicking off it to make a lightning fast dash past the dome.

From the Kage box, Gai smiled slightly- Lee had retrieved his weights and was now partially assembling his staff. _And he's stopping at only four sections,_ Gai noted to himself. _Enough to gain leverage for a powerful impact but still light enough to maintain his mobility._

Lee spent bare seconds assembling his weapon; it was almost too long. He shot into the air as sand erupted from beneath his feet, and engaged in an amazing display of acrobatics as several waves of pounding sand attempted to smash him into the ground. Lee recovered the initiative quickly, and dashed between two incoming masses with a twisting charge that seemed to defy the laws of physics. His dash terminated at the barrier as the entirety of his momentum and force transfered to the bar in his hands, moving so fast the bar seemed for a split second to be a mirror hanging in mid air. The force of the blow tore open the side of the dome thunderously, barely slowing the weapon as sand gouted outwards in a fourteen foot spray.

Lee's eyes widened in shock.

The dome of sand was empty. Lee knew he'd been baited when the sand arose from all directions. He leaped desperately into the air, but there was nowhere to go except down when gravity reasserted itself.

Lee was obscured from sight as the sand enveloped him completely.

--

Across the arena from where Lee was caught, Gaara rose from the ground in a pillar of sand. "Proctor, I can kill him in a moment by crushing him. I have won this match." He said calmly.

Genma, looking over at the amorphous lump of sand, raised a hand-

-And the sand prison exploded outwards. Lee stood blazing, power radiating from his body in waves. His skin was flushed red, his veins bulging, as he screamed out, "Seimon- KAI!"

Gaara encased himself in sand immediately- it was almost too late. Lee vanished from sight as sand, dirt, and turf fountained skyward. Gaara's form was thrown violently into the air; Lee shot up to follow in a blur of green spandex. "Shomon- KAI!"

Gaara felt himself slammed sideways with the force of Lee's kick- even through the sand armor it was like being hit by a charging elephant. The taijutsu specialist used the force of his kick to rebound into the wall of the arena. He launched off the wall, driving a knee into Gaara's side, an elbow into his chest, a kick that began on the arena floor and terminated into Gaara's jaw forty feet in the air. Blows came so quickly that the impacts sounded like a drumroll, as Lee heard tendons and muscle fibers in his limbs popping and snapping like overtaxed violin strings. Several times through sheer luck Gaara had managed to interpose the sand wall between them, but it was too difuse to matter and Lee had shot through the defense like it wasn't there. Sand was still making it to Gaara's body and coated him ever heavier- Lee knew that it was now all or nothing. His handwraps loosened with a practiced twist of his wrists and he lashed them around his opponent as he hurtled towards the arena floor, binding Gaara and yanking him back towards Lee with a taut jerk as Lee unleashed the fifth gate: "Tomon: KAI!"

Years of training had toughened Lee's knuckles and bones to a strength somewhat higher than laminated tempered steel. Despite this, Lee felt fractures in both his striking arm and the leg that kicked along side, both limbs coordinated to deliver the single hardest blow he'd ever dealt in his life. Gaara smashed into the ground in a towering plume of dirt and debris, leaving a crater in the dirt where he impacted. Lee hit the ground unevenly, tumbled uncontrolled and awkward to a pile of pain wracked limbs and genin with a groan. Levering himself up with his good arm, he struggled back to his feet, limping uneasily towards his fallen opponent.

_Did I do it?_ He wondered.

--

Gai felt his heart hammering in his chest as he watched his prized student display his prowess in its fullest glory. The crowd was roaring, on their feet, as the proctor walked forward to have a closer look at the sand ninja. He suddenly stopped as Gaara's hand shot out, still prone, and all the sand that had worked its way into Lee's clothes emerged. It shot out from his clothes, his pockets, his hair, even some from his tool bag strapped to his thigh, and whipped around Lee's throat, hauling him into the air. Lee had no leverage- his hands scrabbled at the viselike grip of sand around his throat. His feet kicked helplessly at empty air, but with nothing to kick off of, there was no escape for him.

Gai's jubilation had fallen away into pure terror, and it was only abject shock that kept him from breaking cover to save his pupil.

From the stands, Gai heard a voice shout out, "Gaara!"

--

Gaara's eyes snapped to the stands, where Naruto stood, glaring at him. With a snarl, he opened his fist, and Lee dropped bonelessly to the arena floor. "Proctor..." He growled.

"Winner: Subaku no Gaara!" Genma snnounced.

Gaara pulled himself painfully to his feet, his entire body feeling bruised. He walked to the stands, masking his discomfort and ignoring the enraged screams of bloodlust denied that echoed in the back of his mind.

Within seconds, he was looking up at Naruto defiantly. "He'll live."

Naruto nodded. "You can be taught. Maybe I don't have to kill you after all."

Gaara bared his teeth in an expression that was too hungry to call a smile. "Even if Mother is angry for sparing him, your blood will be the sweetest offering I can give her."

Naruto shook his head in resignation. "Yeah, I guess it WAS too much to hope for."

--

One of the proctors looked uneasily at the cracks in the arena walls where Lee had pushed off during his crazed, pinball assault on Gaara. "Maybe we should have had barriers for ALL the fights this year."

"Quiet over the air." Snapped Genma on the headset, before he switched to the PA channel. "Next match to commence: Tenten no Konoha, Nara Shikamaru."

--

"Tenten will win." Commented Chouji, popping another rice puff into his mouth.

Sakura shot Chouji a surprised look. "What? Don't you have faith in Shikamaru? I thought you said he was your best friend."

Chouji began to answer, but stopped.

_("If anyone in this exam is strong enough to beat him, it's you.")_

_Can I trust him anymore?_ Chouji wondered. _Was he just saying that, or was he just trying to make me believe in myself like Jiraiya sama says?_

Chouji's eyes watched Shikamaru as he walked out to the center of the arena, avoiding the various pitfalls and hazards that had been created in the first match. He was walking slightly slouched over, hands in his pockets, looking for all the world like he didn't want to be there. Chouji smiled at the sight, it was just SO Shikamaru.

"He's going to quit." Chouji said with a reassured smile.

"Why would he quit?" Asked Ino, somewhat breathless. She was recuperating well, enough so that she'd been released from the hospital last week... but she wasn't fully recovered yet. Water in the lungs does more than suffocate, it ruptures delicate walls that aren't meant to handle the non- compressing nature of fluids. With Lady Tsunade's ministrations she'd eventually recover to full strength, but it would be a while longer yet.

Chouji only smiled at her. "You don't know Shikamaru."

--

Shikamaru sighed. Tenten was ecstatic. bouncing almost, full of confidence, energy, and anticipation. She was ready to come through the tournament like a freight train and let nothing stop her.

There was no way she'd give up short of death against Gaara.

Shikamaru looked up at the clouds and sighed, before rolled his neck. Finally, he looked over at Tenten. "Mendokuse."

Tenten growled at him. "Are you calling me troublesome?"

Shikamaru sighed again. "No. Just the sun is in my eyes."

Tenten scoffed. "Aw, poor baby. Would you feel better if we switched sides for the match?"

Shikamaru shrugged. "If it wouldn't be too much trouble. I hate mornings."

Genma shook his head with a snicker, almost disbelieving. "You are both welcome to change sides if you agree to it."

Tenten nodded. "Sure. I'll let princess be more comfortable in the beginning of the match."

The two genin switched places.

--

Up in the stands, Chouji leaned down and nudged Sasuke in the shoulder. Sasuke looked back and smirked. "The sun is in my eyes?" Chouji said with a laugh.

"He pulled that on you too?" Sasuke answered.

"Yeah, it's one of his favorite tricks- like fool's mate in chess." Chouji answered. "That girl Tenten doesn't even realize that with the sun at Shikamaru's back, she's standing right in his shadow."

--

Genma waited patiently as the genin moved to their respective positions. "NOW are you ready?"

Tenten's cheerful, boistrous affirmation was a sharp contrast to Shikamaru's mellow nod.

Genma raised his hand. "Begin!"

Tenten tried to leap backwards, but discovered she couldn't. "W-what-"

Shikamaru took his hands out of his pockets, and Tenten's arms moved to mimic his posture. In a bored tone of voice, he said, "Kagemane no jutsu successful. And if you ever intend to become a chunin, you must remember..." he trailed off, pointing down to the ground, Tenten's hand following the gesture towards the blot of shadow connecting the two of them. "Remember that you never, ever... allow your enemy to fight on ground of his choosing so long as you can possibly help it." Shikamaru pulled out a kunai and a note from his collar, noting with satisfaction that she apparently held no weapons there. As he wrapped the note around the kunai, and handed it to her, he mimed taking a non existant weapon from her outstretched hand as she took his from him. Tenten stared at the note like she'd been handed a live bomb- which she had been. Shikamaru mimed holding the deadly kunai to his chest and watched as she did the same.

Shikamaru turned around and backed up, so that the two of them were standing back to back. "If you don't give up in five steps, the note explodes. Ten paces and your body between me and the note should make sure I'm fine. One..." And Shikamaru took a step forward.

--

Tenten had never felt so powerless in her life. She was a prisoner in her own body, her actions slaved to another's will- a will that had her clutching death to her breast like it was a child.

She felt her feet take a step forward, quickly, and she remembered everything she'd ever heard about team Akachi- the so-called Reaper squad. The rumors from the hospital after the second exam said that they'd killed more competitors than all the other teams combined- more than any squad in Chunin exam history.

Step.

She remembered blood flying out in a gruesome spray from the massive sword in Naruto's hands and the eyes of his team mates that bespoke how comming this sight was to them.

Step.

She thought of Neji, broken on the floor of the competition room in the tower at the center of the Forest of Death, wrapped in a net.

Step.

It was the fourth step that broke her.

--

Gai suppressed a shudder as a terrified scream tore its way from Tenten's throat, as she surrendured. Shikamaru released his hold and Tenten threw the kunai as far from her as she could, before her knees gave out and she was violently ill on the arena ground.

Gai closed his eyes briefly in sadness.

He had failed them by recommending them too soon- for all their enormous talent, his team simply had not been ready.

--

Chouji stared in disbelief as he watched the proctor announce Shikamaru's win. The simple fact of the win, not to mention the cruel manner in which it had been executed, left Chouji in a state of numb disbelief, his world shaken to its very foundations.

It had been only two and a half months since Shikamaru left team ten- two and a half months since they'd trained together and hung out as team mates. When he'd left team ten, Shikamaru had been a lazy, laid back kind of guy.

Chouji looked at the Shikamaru before him- cold, deadly, and competent- and of his old friend he could only find the faintest traces.

_I guess the person who didn't know you... was me._

--

Sasuke looked surprised at Shikamaru as he returned to the stands amidst the polite applause of the nobles- most of the rest of the crowd had been stunned by the sheer ruthlessness he'd displayed.

"I didn't think you'd take it that far," the Uchiha commented.

Shikamaru snorted. "I thought I'd actually have to light the note off."

"You would have?" Sasuke asked, startled again.

Shikamaru just shrugged. "It was only a stun bomb."

Sasuke burst out laughing.

--

Temari watched the two Konoha genin converse- two of Naruto's team mates, the Nara who'd threatened to kill the other girl from Konoha, and the Uchiha boy. And now the two of them were laughing over it.

These were Naruto's team mates. And she'd be fighting one of them next. She wondered if he'd been told not to kill her.

From the intelligence Suna had been given by Otogakure, the Nara boy was the least combat oriented member of his team. And she was slated to fight the last member of the Uchiha clan.

The proctor announced the next match. Steeling her nerve, Temari hopped onto her fan and rode the air currents into the ring.

--

Genma watched the suna defector ride her massive warfan down into the arena. Although she presented a calm confidence, Genma noted the tension under her eyes as she arrived. _She's either rattled by the violence of the first two matches, or she's not certain that Konoha didn't decide to tie her loose ends off in the match._ He thought to himself. _Considering she's teamed with that Gaara kid, I imagine it's the latter. And another time she might even be right, except her defection brings a jinchuuriki with her as well as vital invasion intelligence. That other kid, Kankuro, he's not as brave as she is, he'd never be able to toe the Gaara kid into line long enough for us to get him in our debt. _Out loud, he said, "Welcome to the finals. Nice fan."

Temari jumped a little at the mention of the fan, but managed a short, "Thanks."

--

Sasuke sized up the Sunagakure kunoichi as he walked onto the field. She carried her massive fan easily, like an extension of herself. It was a far nicer fan than the one she'd lost when she tried to defend the Kabuki genin from Naruto.

He'd been briefed by Shikamaru on the skirmish he'd had with her and her team mate a month ago. She was fast, and Naruto had been thwarted in his killing stroke by her sacrificing what had apparently been her working weapon. The weapon she'd been seen carrying since was of a quality several orders of magnitude higher than the one Naruto had destroyed- either it was some sort of heirloom, ceremonial weapon, or else it was a spare she had brought with her on the off chance she encountered a weapon user wielding something of similar quality. In either case, having such a weapon readily available meant that she had an enormous degree of either political influence or money- or possibly both- making her apparent defection to Konoha all the more mystifying. Kakashi sensei had made it clear that he was NOT to kill her, although defeating her was certainly permitted. He'd also been told not to share his information with the rest of his team- this operation was strictly need to know.

So Sasuke was going to go along with this little play date, and see where it led.

--

The fight was short. Temari displayed some talent with wind jutsu, but after an especially elaborate fire attack, she gave up quickly. Never mind what it looked like, never mind promotion. If Konoha was to survive, they would need all of their fighters- herself and Sasuke included- to be in good form to weather the storm of what was coming, and for Temari to survive, Konoha would likewise have to survive. And if Temari DIDN'T survive, neither would Kankuro... or Gaara.

So regardless of whether it made her look bad, she would act as her mission required.

Let the chips fall where they may.

--

Kakashi watched the girl walk back to the stands, her head held high in spite of her poor showing. But then, he knew full well why she'd done so poorly- and the art of the ninja is deception.

_I'll cast my ballot for her promotion to chunin. She knows when to sacrifice herself for the good of the mission._

--

Sasuke watched the Suna girl walk off the field. The fight had bothered him- Sure, her affinity for wind techniques made her terribly vulnerable to his own affinity for fire, but he got the distinct feeling that she hadn't really tried. It was almost an insult.

Still, he'd be fresh enough to give Naruto a run for his money when their match rolled around.

The proctor was announcing the next match: Uzumaki Naruto and Mizuten Takumo.

Sasuke suddenly felt uneasy. Potentially three fights were coming up for Naruto, and he'd declared formal intent to kill two of his upcoming opponents.

That realization sparked a memory, one of a conversation held in Nami no Kuni, about the effects of the Mangekyou Sharingan. How much of the Sharingan remai9ned in Naruto? Was it still there, the damage from the Mangekyou, slowly poisoning Naruto's mind until he finally snapped? The thought made Sasuke feel sick inside.

And the way Naruto had explained his decisions to kill were so reasonable, if he WAS going mad, was that madness contagious? Not so with the Sharingan, but this Kamigan was more powerful by far.

_I don't want to believe he's going crazy, _Sasuke thought to himself, _but I have to know._

Naruto was just getting to his feet. Sasuke set his hand on the blonde's shoulder. "Hey, Dobe."

Naruto's lips quirked into a half smile. "What is it, Teme?"

"I know you decided to kill him... but don't, okay?"

Naruto looked confused. "He tried to kill Ino, and he did so after his match was over. He tried to murder one of ours, someone from Konoha. He's an enemy, and he'd do it again if he got the chance."

"So be the better man. Kick his ass, humiliate him if you want. But don't kill him." Sasuke urged.

Naruto blinked at him for a long moment, before he looked over at Gaara with a measuring glance. Sighing, he finally nodded. "Alright."

Sasuke nodded back, and as he watched Naruto enter the arena suddenly he felt better than he had in a long time. Better than in years. Since before the massacre, even. It took him a few seconds to identify what that feeling was, back a long time ago. Back when he'd sprained his ankle training, and Itachi carried him home.

After all these years, he finally had a big brother he could trust and count on again.

--

Genma watched as Naruto hopped down from the stands, walking confidently over to the center of the ring.

Genma continued nibbling his fukimibari, granting Uzumaki a mellow stare. _This was the match they warned me about- the genin from Takigakure is horribly outmatched here, and according to Hayate, Naruto threatened to send the kid out of the arena on a stretcher or in a bag. _

Genma held no illusions about this- Hayate was therefore put into an awkward position, considering that the tokobetsu jounin quite literally owed Naruto his life. But duty had won out, and in his own way Hayate was still looking out for Uzumaki- forewarned, Genma could keep the blonde from doing anything that might harm his career or that he might regret later. Or at least, so Genma hoped.

--

Several minutes passed as Mizuten looked on from the vantage point near the stadium. _Look at these pathetic Konoha nin, standing there waiting as if this little test of theirs actually means something._ He thought to himself. _'None of them have a clue that their little village and all of their posturing is going to die today._

He looked back from the arena to his assigned target during the invasion: the Konoha Shinobi Academy.

--

Naruto stood with him arms folded, a disgusted look on his face. Genma raised an eyebrow, looking up at the Hokage, who nodded.

Genma shifted the needle, and announced, "Due to lateness, Mizuten Takumo is disqualified. The first round is finished; next match to commence, Subaku no Gaara, Nara Shikamaru."

--

**End Chapter Twenty Seven.**

-AN: To all my fans out there who have waited literally three and a half months for this chapter to come out: I deeply apologize.

My carefully ordered life has been neatly unravelled; following my demotion from my cashier position for cost saving measures (And in the process, hitting me with a 25% cut in pay) I have been forced to restructure my life. Many of the things which I had woven into my life, including a stable work schedule, a WoW account, eating habits (I am again becoming acquainted with the detestable flavors of Hamburger Helper, on the nights I don't just settle for Mac and cheese or ramen and diced vegetables) have been replaced with unwelcome experiences I haven't gone through since high school. Much of the last three months have been spent wallowing in a deplorable, shameful state of self pity.

It was a few days ago that I was reading through my notes when I ran across a passage I had written before all of this upheaval occured: Lee speaking to Neji, a bit that I wrote in above and left intact: "Life is ten precent what happens to us, and ninety percent what we do about it."

It was a splash of cold water and a slap in the face to read that and realize that my situation was not outside of my control, but first I had to remove myself from the state of depression and largely self inflicted helplessness I was feeling.

Forcing myself to sit and transcribe this chapter is the first step I'm taking to get my ass back in gear. Call it disciplining myself, call it about f**king time, call it what you will, but this chapter is being released. Now. And I am going to sit back and wallow no longer. Don't cheer me for it; I should have done this at the very latest two and a half months ago.

A preview, then sign off.

**Chapter Twenty Eight Preview:**

_Morale first faltered when Shukaku appeared. What should have been a rallying sight for the invaders turned sour as it became apparent that the Ichibii was, at least for now, quite securely contained in the arena. Slowly but surely the two Konoha Sannin were dealing with the snake summons in spite of the horrific initial colateral damage. _

_One of the Praetorian serpents crashed through the defensive line, the flanking heads laying down sporadic barrages of acidic venom to either side, forcing the defenders into cover. As the massive summoned beast thundered through the abandoned Uchiha sector, a gargantuan toad landed on the three headed snake's massive back. _

_The cacophanous crushing noises were more than summoned flesh and bone- the fallen serpent's heads plowed through a half dozen building from the force of the blow. Without waiting to assess the damage from its initial assault, the toad whipped out its colossal blade and made three lightning fast slashes. The heads parted from the thrashing body of the snake before all parts vanished in smoke; the toad fell the intervening distance to the ground that the snake had occupied, and the ground shuddered from the weight. _

_Jiraiya himself was not idle in this battle, as a team of Oto nin bore down on his position, hurling shuriken. Jiraiya stepped behind cover of what little wall there was left standing after the snake had smashed through it. A sudden Rasengan drove through that wall, peppering the advancing team of oto shinobi with a spray of jagged, deadly fast bits of brick and mortar. _

_The one nin who managed to shield himself with a wall of air was roasted alive as Jiraiya's fireball jutsu plowed through the wind barrier completely unimpeded. _

_Jiraiya shot a weary look in the direction of Gamabushi- the toad was blistered and bloodied, and breathing in great gasps. "Sorry to ask this of you, my friend, but there's still one more out there."_

_"Think nothing of it, Gama sennin. Although," the toad mentioned almost as an afterthought, "I believe your partner may well have things in hand." _

_Jiraiya looked in the direction Gamabushi was watching, and chuckled to himself as one head of the distant praetorian was rocked backwards by a piece of masonry the size of a cow that flew skyward like a rocket. _

_"Heh." Jiraiya said with a tired grin. "I love that woman."_

**End preview. **

Ja mata.

-AXENOME


	32. Chapter Twenty Eight: Invasive Species

-AN: Edit for errors.

**Chapter Twenty Eight: Invasive Species**

_Hmf._ Mused Shikamaru irritably. _Thought I'd have more time than this to think about this fight. Mendokuse._

Briefly, Shikamaru mentally examined what he knew about the sand ninja- not much of it was in his favor. But there had to be a weakness or a limitation to the use of sand by the Sunagakure ninja.

Shikamaru gauged the amount of time left before the proctor would disqualify him. Not really enough time to formulate a full battle strategy. So he'd have to sketch a rough outline and then improvise on the fly.

Slumping his shoulders, Shikamaru began to walk down the stairs in much the same way he'd done when he "fought" Tenten- although it hadn't really been so much a fight as a jutsu sucker punch. That wasn't going to work this time- not only was he uncertain about how effective his kagemane would be at holding back the sand of his opponent, but it was noon, and the shadow would be painfully obvious in the second before it would become fully maleable and ready to strike.

The more he thought about it, the more Shikamaru was forced to confront the fact that it boiled down to one of two choices: Throw the fight... or pull out ALL the stops.

Shikamaru looked over his shoulder at where Sasuke and Naruto stood chatting in the stands... so far away they were already. For a moment he felt a sense of deja-vu as he watched them, getting farther and farther away from him. and he felt his decision being made.

_They're not gonna leave me behind. Not now, not ever!_

--

Genma looked between the two genin. Both of them seemed relaxed, dismissive of their opponent. _This will either be a good match, _he thought to himself, _or else a very quick one. _"Are you two ready?"

"Yeah." "Yes."

"Begin!"

--

Sand poured out of Gaara's gourd in a stream, whirling around him. Shikamaru had time to form exactly one seal before he was running for his life. Pummelling wads of sand impacted the ground hard enough to jar his footing; Shikamaru stumbled, and executed Kawarimi just in time to avoid sand bursting out of the ground at his feet.

From cover at the treeline, Shikamaru watched as Gaara probed about with the sand, trying to find him.

_Interesting._ Shikamaru thought to himself. _The most efficient way for him to find me with all that sand would be to disperse all of it in an expanding cloud, cast it in all directions, the way Naruto said that Takigakure nin did during the first exam with the moisture in the air. Any single grain of sand has negligible mass- I'd never notice it until it was too late. But this guy isn't doing that._ Shikamaru rubbed his chin thoughtfully. _Instead of manipulating the individual grains, he's carrying huge accumulations of sand in a few wads, all of which is likely done by subsuming the wads in a field of chakra that he's using to keep them together. Meaning he's using enormous amounts of chakra to do this, with little effort. Meaning therefore he's highly unlikely to have a great deal of fine chakra control. If I'm correct in all this, perhaps I can overload his ability to defend from multiple threats at once._

--

Gaara sent out another wave of sand to probe the treeline again, and was rewarded with a hail of shuriken seemingly from all directions, in a more or less random pattern. His sand encapsulated him, and he listened disinterestedly to the repeated small thumps of the impacting weapons.

_When did he have time to set all of this up? _Gaara wondered. _He hasn't stopped hiding in those trees since the match began. _

**THIS ONE WILL BE DELICIOUS. I WANT HIM AFTER YOU KILL THE UZUMAKI.**

_Yes, Mother._

As storm of shuriken passed, his sand parted, only to divert to the sides as kunai rained in from either side. All but a handful of the kunai disappeared after impacted, but they'd been no less solid for all of that. Gaara had no doubt that they'd have proven quite sharp.

Shikamaru was on one knee, hands still in the sign of the Ox. the two genin eyed one another warily as the sand parted, and Shikamaru got to his feet easily. "Well, that tells me a lot."

Gaara's eyes narrowed, which Shikamaru took as invitation to continue.

"Your defense is strong, but not perfect." Shikamaru said. "From the preliminaries it was shown that it could be slowed down long enough to be penetrated. And as near as I can see, you do not need to make any conscious effort to direct it. It defends you on its own."

Gaara still said nothing, glaring angrily back at the Konoha genin.

**INTERESTING. I WONDER WHERE THE PREY IS GOING WITH THIS.**

"The grains of sand are not being controlled individually by you, but instead are held suspended in a field of chakra the you extend from your body. It's similar to the puppeteer jutsus of Sunagakure, but on a truly massive scale. That sort of chakra expenditure is super human, and knowing what I do of jinchuuriki that means most of the chakra you use for it comes directly from the demon inside you."

**HE HAS DEDUCED MY EXISTENCE? OR DOES HE KNOW OF IT BECAUSE OF HIS COMRADE THE UZUMAKI?**

Gaara did not answer.

Shikamaru finished, "But that demon is concerned with its own goals, and since the chakra acts on its own, it stands to reason that the demon therefore controls your defense... and from this is means that chakra is not entirely under your control."

"Are you finished talking yet?" Gaara demanded impatiently.

"Heh." Shikamaru smiled. "Only one thing left to say: Checkmate. KAI!"

The kunai surrounding Gaara suddenly shimmered, before revealing rocks wrapped in explosive note. A brilliant flash from behind Shikamaru stretched his shadow out in a long line towards the jinchuuriki. It halted just short of the barrier of sand that flew up to halt it, but Gaara was not the shadow's target: The shadow split off, sliding under the rocks surrounding the jinchuuriki and flinging them into the air over Gaara's head. One note would be child's play for the shell of sand to deflect. Twenty notes would take all of it to protect against.

Gaara's gourd dissolved, the composite sand joining the rest of it to protect against the massive concussion, and still the shock wave almost brought Gaara to his knees. Then Gaara halted, frozen, unable to direct his sand, as his eyes fell on the thin line of shadow that connected himself and the Konoha genin thirty feet way.

Against his will, Gaara found himself reaching out towards the last rock wrapped in an explosive note, and brought it up to beneath his chin, directly against the skin of his throat.

--

Genma's fukimibari almost fell out of his mouth, but even as the two genin reached down to the ground, grabbing the last of the rocks, Genma called out, "Winner: Shikamaru!"

--

As the words rang out, Gaara was mentally frozen, disbelieving, as he heard the words replay in his mind.

It wasn't possible.

Impossible.

He, Gaara... Had lost.

To a genin from a minor clan in Konoha.

_No._

**NO.**

_No no no nononoNONONO_

"**NOOOOOOO!"**

--

The light applause from Shikamaru's win faltered and died as Gaara began screaming, his voice amplified by the power of the bijuu sealed inside him. The arena shuddered, as Gaara began shedding killing intent at mind numbing levels that swelled higher and higher with each passing moment. Dust began vibrating up from the ground as sand rose up, obscuring the sand genin from sight.

The barrier specialists sprang into action, hand seals flashing, but Genma and Shikamaru were still stuck in the arena at ground zero.

"Now what?" Shikamaru asked. There was no way he could cover the distance in time before the sand swallowed them up.

Genma's face was set and grim. "Now, kid, we eat a heroic peanut." He couldn't shunshin out, not with another person, and he was not gonna leave the kid to die out here on his own.

Then the two of them found themselves standing side by side in the arena stand, in the competitors box, staring down at the arena floor where Naruto and a kage bunshin stood, the exact positions that Genma and Shikamaru had been standing, both already bearing Kubikiri Houcho in their hands.

--

Naruto watched with Kamigan eyes as sand swelled upwards, being drawn from the soil to surround the suna genin, as Shikamaru and Genma realized their deadly peril. His eyes saw through Gai sensei's Henge, and the Kazekage's skin to the layers underneath, and knew the stakes had just gone up. He saw the barrier experts and understood what they were doing, saw that Genma and Shikamaru had no chance to escape on their own before the barrier went up. The only inanimate objects available for them to Kawarimi were inside the arena- a deliberate set up to ensure that nobody accidentally brought the fight into the stands where nobility might be harmed.

And Naruto could see that neither of them had any intentions of attempting to escape, at the expense of the other.

Kawarimi no jutsu is one of the first jutsu taught to academy students. For ninja to be, along with Henge no jutsu and Bunshin no jutsu, these techniques are the focus of practice and study for a full year out of the three that students learn.

Kawarimi requires little chakra to use on an inanimate object, or on willing living subjects. But if a person is unaware, or unwilling, their native chakra naturally fights against the jutsu, which then fails. To kawarimi with an unwilling subject requires either an innocent victim with next to no chakra of their own or else the expenditure of enough chakra to temporarily suppress any resistance by the target while making the switch.

An unwilling genin was a challenging target, a chunin likely crippling even if successful, and a jounin all but impossible. Most jounin did not have enough chakra to suppress a genin with any reasonable reliability or expectation of success.

Naruto didn't stop to think about any of this- all of the analysis flashed through his mind the moment his brain registered everything the Kamigan was telling him. One hand formed the seals for Kage bunshin while the other began Kawarimi, and suddenly Naruto and his clone were standing on the arena floor as sand began forming limbs on Gaara's body. The shapeless lump where his head belonged suddenly formed eyes and a crude mouth, and the sandy body took on more mass and detail by the second.

The barrier experts finished their work and the barrier came up, even as Genma and Shikamaru realized what had happened and started to move to come to Naruto's aid.

Naruto pushed all other thoughts out of his mind as he reclaimed chakra from his clone, staring directly into the baleful eyes of the growing titan before him.

**"You should be scared."** Growled Gaara in a gravelly voice. **"I want to taste your fear."**

Naruto smiled grimly, and replied, "Me? You're mistaken. I'm not stuck in here with you. YOU'RE stuck in here with ME. The only fear you'll be tasting is yours."

Kubikiri Houcho was suddenly wreathed in Naruto's dark, disruptive chakra as he made his altered seal spring to life, and the blonde jinchuuriki charged.

--

From his position in the Kage box, as the win was announced, Gai sensed from the sudden tension in the Kazekage that something was about to happen- and then spectators in the stands began to nod off.

A noble slumped forward, then the Daimyo of Hi no Kuni, several more visitors, before the ninja in the audience realized what happened and dispelled the genjutsu that began to affect them.

Gai, however, knew this genjutsu. He'd been a genin when he'd last seen it- it was a jutsu that hadn't been seen in Konohagakure in almost twenty years.

Every member of the audience had been screened by ANBU... except for...

Almost in slow motion, Gai turned his head to look over at the Kazekage, whose hard, sharp eyes managed to convey a glee that was terrible to behold.

The uncertainty and sense of things being out of place finally solidified as Gai looked into the eyes of one of Konoha's greatest enemies. "Now I understand..." Kunai flashed as Gai stopped the "Kazekage's" slashing strike with a blade of his own. Gai held the weapon deadlocked with no effort at all as he finished, "... Orochimaru."

"Still as fast as ever, eh, sensei?" Orochimaru said with a grin. "Time has been kind to you."

Gai leaned forward until the two of them were almost nose to nose, before he dropped the henge with a grim smile. "Not just fast." He replied. Then, with the considerable strength of two decades of hard training, Gai SHOVED.

Many marvel at the strength, the solidity, and durability of stone. A monument may last for many lifetimes when made of stone. Stone is generally considered a symbol of permanence, strength, and dedication.

But people tend to forget that monuments, foundations, and buildings crafted from stone were made by human hands, taken from the earth, shaped by human will and choice. In the end, stone is as malleable as clay.

Though crafted from stone, the Kage seats and the floor on which they stood were less than clay against the power of Gai's shove. They may as well have been crafted from soft mud, as Orochimaru was forceably shoved through the seats, the flagstone floor, and into the rooms below in an eruption of dust, gravel, and rock shards.

Against a man, mere stone is no barrier at all.

To Konoha, the lesson would be displayed quite thoroughly, much to the sorrow of those who lived here.

The straw has landed.

--

A ripple of awareness washed across training ground forty-four as the raw power of Ichibii no Shukaku awoke.

-one of the ATMA is nearby on full combat readiness-

-is it an attack-

-uncertain-

- what of your latest project-

The awareness of the Ancients fell into an embarassed silence.

-did you put any controls into place at all-

-I can see what uzumakinaruto sees but the chakra parasite which we could not remove would have killed it had i placed ordinary controls on it-

-what is it seeing-

If anything, the mental tone of chagrin and anxiety intensified.

-uzumakinaruto is preparing to fight the host of the first ATMA but does not seem to be accessing the power of the ATMA inside of itself-

-can it win this way-

-it may have the ability but its combat experience against a foe this much more physically massive than itself is entirely lacking therefore the answer is very much in doubt unless it can somehow be induced to access the ATMA within itself-

-do we have anything available that is capable of suppressing a combat ready ATMA-

-assuredly we have the means to imprison an ATMA but that would take time and we have nothing available to hold one at bat until we can complete the process-

-would an object sealing work on an ATMA contained in a living host-

-unknown too many variables-

-we have little choice we will be forced to depend on the defenses of the uzumakinaruto-

-i will make an attempt to summon some of our creations if the ATMA approaches the grove-

-we have little choice we will be forced to depend on the uzumakinaruto for now-

-begin preparations for the containment and the summoning we must make whatever possible use of any time it buys us in the event that it ultimately fails-

-is it possible these events are a retaliation from a survivor of the whirlpool grove-

-no survivor was possible in the whirlpool grove it was scourged-

-possibly an ally of that grove then-

-uncertain the possibility exists but virtually anything can be considered a possibility probability is harder to determine-

-let us begin then-

--

ANBU moves and reacts quickly. Barely seven minutes passed between the time that Gaara began releasing the Ichibii and the time that Anbu finished deploying, activating all chunin not already on assignment.

Orochimaru's forces had been given elaborately crafted scrolls with which to summon members of Manda's elite, personal guard, massive three headed serpents the size of buildings and capable of sundering a castle's walls as easily as a house of cards.

One of the summoning teams botched the summons badly and was killed; another team was intercepted and destroyed before they could complete their tasks.

Orochimaru's original plan had consisted of only three summoning teams. With the inclusion of thirty additional shinobi from the agitated Waterfall village, however, Orochimaru was able to divert more of his own forces to summoning teams. More summons meant more breach points in the walls around Konoha, and more Konoha nin that would be distracted from the invasion forces to deal with the summons.

Even with the forewarning, Konoha was far worse off than they would have been had Takigakure never gotten any genin past the second exam.

--

A muscled serpent's tail lashed out, driving through the east wall of Konoha and sending sprays of jagged stone deep into the city streets, flying at killing speeds. Panicking civilians and several of the chunin mobilized to organize the retreat were cut down in bloody sprays by the rocky shrapnel, while jounin attempted to counter attack. As the massive, three headed serpent reared up, shuriken flew at it from a dozen directions; although ineffectual, the summoned beast took enough time and attention to spout several large gouts of acidic venom. Its attackers scattered. As it moved its enormous bulk past the breachin the walls, enemy shinobi dashed through behind it, rooting out from cover the Konoha nin who sought shelter from the initial barrage of snake venom.

--

Naruto already had the Kamigan engaged when the barrier went up. He was dodging almost before he finished speaking as spikes of sand shot up from the ground.

Spikes sprang from the ground, hammering masses of sand fell from the air. The transformed Gaara's arms- nightmarish combinations of sharp claws and scouring sand and hellish, bijuu fueled might- swiped and slashed and hammered at him.

The spikes struck too late; the falling sand missed by inches; the claws were evaded with twists and jumps and tumbling leaps. Then, Naruto suddenly saw his opening and lashed out with Kubikiri Houcho as Gaara was just a tad too slow to pull his striking arm back.

Naruto had struck the suna jinchuuriki several times with his weapon already; the disruptive chakra temporarily sprayed clouds of sand away from the body but they were only glancing blows, and Naruto couldn't afford to take any hits in exchange. While the gouts of sand flying away from the body of the beast were impressive, Gaara's actual body was too deep to hit with piddling little strikes like these, and the huge rents in the sand body closed almost immediately.

This time, Gaara screamed, and there was blood mixed in with the sand that flew away from the wound. The clawed hand and arm fell away from the shoulder as Gaara screamed, the demon face of Shukaku twisting in pain.

As the arm collapsed into a pile of sand, a severed hand lay atop it, palm up, fingers curled in and twitching like a dying spider.

Naruto attempted to dodge the counterblow but sand skittered under his feet faster than he could shift and he couldn't get enough traction to get out of the way.

As Naruto and Kubikiri Houcho flew backwards in seperate, tumbling trajectories, Naruto dimly decided through the haze of pain that Chouji had been displaced to a distant second for raw hitting power. Naruto's hitai ate was flying in a third direction; before it landed a cloud of sand engulfed it and crumpled the mid gauge steel like a sheet of tin foil. Naruto counted off three quarters of a second then executed Kawarimi with his headband, overcharging the jutsu to account for the difference in mass, and hoping that his hasty, mutilated henge would buy him enough time for his ribs to mend.

At that point, the real pain from the severed hand hit the red head, who began screaming again, and control over his sand began to waver. Naruto dropped his henge and shunshined over to Kubikiri Houcho, snapping up the blade and ignoring the piercing pains in his ribs. Something in his chest gurgled and Naruto coughed, spitting bright, bubbled blood. Then he felt his ribs shifting back into place, as the pain first surged, then faded.

He coughed one more time to clear his lungs, spitting to get the taste out of his mouth, then straightened up, meeting his opponent's eyes that were wide and disbelieving and filling with fear.

Gaara was recoiling in horror as Naruto faced him again. **"NO! Stay BACK!"**

Naruto formed a kage bunshin and prepared to renew the assault, but something in Gaara's face seemed to galvanize, and fury- true rage- appeared for the first time on Gaara's features since Naruto met him before the Chunin exam. **"NO! You WON'T end my existance- I WON'T LET YOU!"**

The arena shuddered again. The ground convulsed upwards, throwing Naruto and his clone from their feet and pelting them with rocks. Naruto released the hold on the Bunshin to conserve chakra as he sheltered himself from the storm of stones behind Kubikiri Houcho, clambering to his feet and trying to stay mobile enough to keep Gaara from drawing a solid bead on him. In a second it was glaringly apparent that Gaara wasn't attacking him- the hail of rocks from the earth had been a mere side effect. Naruto stopped and stared through the cloud of dust with the Kamigan in abject dismay as his eyes revealed to him the towering colossus still growing in size. He was running short of room to maneuver; Shukaku's full size took up almost half the arena floor.

The barrier around the arena wavered momentarily as the debris pelted it as well, but then solidified and stabilized as the shinobi maintaining it redoubled their efforts. As the dust settled, Naruto found himself staring through clear air at the monstrous form of Shukaku unleashed.

No room to maneuver. No place to run. The next few minutes would depend entirely on pure, brute force.

Naruto favored Kubikiri Houcho with a dour eye and a disconsolate sigh. "Never thought I'd see the day that I'd need a bigger sword."

--

Morale first faltered when Shukaku appeared. What should have been a rallying sight for the invaders turned sour as it became apparent that the Ichibii was, at least for now, quite securely contained in the arena. Slowly but surely the two Konoha Sannin were dealing with the snake summons in spite of the horrific initial colateral damage.

One of the Praetorian serpents crashed through the defensive line, the flanking heads laying down sporadic barrages of acidic venom to either side, forcing the defenders into cover. As the massive summoned beast thundered through the abandoned Uchiha sector, a gargantuan toad landed on the three headed snake's massive back.

The cacophanous crushing noises were more than summoned flesh and bone- the fallen serpent's heads plowed through a half dozen building from the force of the blow. Without waiting to assess the damage from its initial assault, the toad whipped out its colossal blade and made three lightning fast slashes. The heads parted from the thrashing body of the snake before all parts vanished in smoke; the toad fell the intervening distance to the ground that the snake had occupied, and the ground shuddered from the weight.

Jiraiya himself was not idle in this battle, as a team of Oto nin bore down on his position, hurling shuriken. Jiraiya stepped behind cover of what little wall there was left standing after the snake had smashed through it. A sudden Rasengan drove through that wall, peppering the advancing team of oto shinobi with a spray of jagged, deadly fast bits of brick and mortar.

The one nin who managed to shield himself with a wall of air was roasted alive as Jiraiya's fireball jutsu plowed through the wind barrier completely unimpeded.

Jiraiya shot a weary look in the direction of Gamabushi- the toad was blistered and bloodied, and breathing in great gasps. "Sorry to ask this of you, my friend, but there's still one more out there."

"Think nothing of it, Gama sennin. Although," the toad mentioned almost as an afterthought, "I believe your partner may well have things in hand."

Jiraiya looked in the direction Gamabushi was watching, and chuckled to himself as one head of the distant praetorian was rocked backwards by a piece of masonry the size of a cow that flew skyward like a rocket.

"Heh." Jiraiya said with a tired grin. "I love that woman."

--

Dust hung thick in a swirling cloud. Grunts and gasps of effort accompanied ringing of metal and bright sparks, the rapid clangs and flashes disorienting in the rooms below the kage stands, only dimly lit by the light filtering through the haze in the air.

Guy narrowly avoided a thrust from Kusanagi that would have pinned his thigh to the wall. Almost without thought his nunchaku's chain wrapped about the blade and bound tight; his arm flexed and the legendary blade arced through the air to bury itself a foot deep in the ceiling.

Maito Gai, despite his eccentricities, is the most powerful active duty ninja in Konoha, after the death of the Sandaime Hokage. His skills and abilities are legendary; he is reputed to know well over two hundred ninjutsu, his genjutsu skills are fearsome, and his taijutsu are awe inspiring.

But ninja strike from the shadows, with secrets and hidden skills, and Maito Gai has forgotten this, a little. As the jutsu one upsmanship of competition between villages accelerated over the years, jutsus became flashier and more powerful, ninja became more interested in making a name for themselves than in remaining hidden, and while ambush was still a time honored tradition among the modern ninja Maito Gai had no way of knowing that Orochimaru needed no clones or hidden allies to stab him in the back while standing right in front of him.

His nunchaku fell from numbing fingers as Gai blinked at his opponent, trying to understand how Orochimaru had removed the blade from the ceiling without chakra or physical action. The bizarre mutation of what may have once been based off of the ram seal being formed by Orochimaru's fingers looked familiar in an academic sort of way; Gai couldn't precisely place it for a moment until he remembered a mission he'd gone on, years before, that finger configuration shaping darker energies than Chakra in the form of a spell cast by a...

"Wu jen." Gai said, glancing down at the end of the sword protruding from between his lowest two ribs on the right side, watching the dark blood well out of the wound- the blade had pierced both his lower lung and his liver. Even without the fell poisons of Kusanagi it would be a killing blow unless treated quickly by a medic nin.

"I know that you know you're a dead man." Orochimaru said with a smile, spiting blood and a gravelly, shattered tooth aside. "Ordinarily I'd amuse myself by nicking you with the blade and seeing how long the poison took to kill you- you're such a healthy man, it'd probably take a couple of minutes, and would most likely be quite entertaining watching your body's systems attempt the impossible in order to survive. But I'm afraid I'm in a bit of a rush. Unless you'd like to save me the time and simply tell me where the old man is?"

"I can... do a little better... than that." Panted Gai. He tottered a step before rallying himself. If this was indeed to be his end... then it would be an end most youthful. "I can take you to meet him personally. Kaimon, KAI!"

--

The barrier experts were growing exhausted at an ever increasing pace. None of them faltered, despite their growing fatigue, each grimly determined to contain the battling juggernauts inside the barrier.

So far, not only did the pair show no signs of stopping, but their titanic conflict was accelerating in scale even now.

All pretense of finesse was gone. Both jinchuuriki were standing stock still, each surrounded by a corona of palpable power. A hazy aura of bubbling, blood red chakra encased Naruto's form, a long, lashing tendril of which waved like an agitated tail behind him. Claws of pure chakra struck out, deflected by multi-ton gouts of sand that exploded on contact, a testament to the forces they were defending against. The gargantuan form of Gaara's unleashed bijuu was no less intimidating, as Shukaku's manifestation was nearing two hundred feet tall. Shukaku was hurling monstrous wads of sand wrapped in a bijuu's chakra, any one of which carrying enough weight and force to tear off a cliff face. The wads of sand were not sufficient to get past the chakra tail, which darted and snapped, slashing through and shattering each artificial boulder with effortless ease. Tons of sand each second hammered the ground and barrier, the earth shuddering as though beneath the boots of warring giants.

Gaara pulled out the final stop, forming seals with his intact hand as he cradled his maimed arm to his chest. "Tanuki Neiri no Jutsu!" And slumped forward.

**"YEEEHAAWW!" **Roared Shukaku. **"FREE AT LAST, FREE AT LAST, THANK KAMI ALMIGHTY, I'M FREE AT-"**

Shukaku's exultant cry was cut off as an arm of sand flew high, deflecting on instinct a chakra claw that would have otherwise decapitated him. The Ichibii had been dozing ever since Gaara took on his full form; he'd had no idea that Naruto was capable of drawing on the Kyuubii's power in such a full and unrestrained manner. Any other jinchuuriki would have likely been dead had they attempted it of their bijuu. No mortal shell could withstand the sheer power of the Bijuu's chakra unless the bijuu themself willed it, either because, like Shukaku, the bijuu controlled his host, or else unthinkably, the bijuu and mortal were in accordance with one another.

Baleful yellow and black eyes fixed themselves on the miniscule, chakra shrouded human below himself, before realization set in and Shukaku knew fear.

Naruto's jet black eyes began to brighten, becoming a glowing, deep red the color of clotting blood. Behind him, the chakra tail became even more agitating, wildly flailing before splitting from the end downwards to form two tails.

Desperation seized Shukaku- even a partial manifestation of two tails would be enough to utterly overwhelm him if Naruto resumed a full offensive.

Battles, true life and death struggles, can be incredibly fast affairs, leaving behind only the quick and the dead. Sometimes death is rapid, unseen. Other times, survival is by the merest fraction of inches.

And sometimes, like now, personal survival is achieved through headlong flight.

The barrier experts were already exhausted. The initial belief was that the fight would be quick and brutal, perhaps five minutes at the most. But this fight- and the invasion alongside it- had been raging for three quarters of an hour, and the most cynical estimates of the jinchuurikis' collective might had been dwarfed by the awful reality of their struggle. Thus far, the barrier had- in some cases, barely- held strong against the side effects of each combatant's deflected attacks.

When Shukaku whirled and fired off a trio of wind bullets into the barrier at point blank range, it was like a triple fire shot through a soda can with a nine milimeter glock. Before any of the pieces of the barrier experts on that side of the arena landed, Shukaku was already in motion.

As Gaara slept, Shukaku- one of the most powerful forces in the shinobi world- ran for his life.

--

Konoha fought on with a dogged tenacity that was awe inspiring in its ferocity and determination. The two sannin had eliminated the summoned snakes, and thought the invaders outnumbered the defenders almost three to two at the height of the battle, the Konohans were steadily pushing them back.

When the barrier came down, Shukaku didn't hesitate- he leapt out of the arena in a single bound, crushing a few now-abandoned houses on the edge of the village before running headlong through a breach in the wall in the direction of the only place he could think of to hide- amongst the massive trees in training ground forty four whose size was comparable to his own. Naruto, in all his blazing glory, was a blinding streak, a two tailed comet in fiery red, determined to catch the Tanuki spirit and its host no matter the personal cost.

Behind them, as the two jinchuuriki left the village, there was an explosion of stone and gravel as Gai rose skyward, punishing kicks hammering at the revealed hebi sannin. "Keimon: KAI!"

The corona of chakra surrounding Gai took on multicolored hues as his speed increased again. Orochimaru attempted to enact Kawarimi when the unthinkable happened.

"Kyomon: KAI!" Roared Gai. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as Orochimaru felt the familiar twist of space, attempting to transpose his position with that of a nearby chunk of rock, but a hand clamped down on his wrist, moving so quickly it managed to reach into that warping space between to catch him and haul him back into Gai's grasp. The hand tightened; the powerful bones in Orochimaru's wrist crunched into splintered shards.

Orochimaru felt himself forced into a full nelson hold, then suddenly his vision greyed out as he was subjected to dozens of gee's when Gai's powerful, chakra enchanced legs drove them both skyward.

Gai's voice spoke into his ear. "I take you now to the Sandaime Hokage; we will meet him together. SHIMON: KAI! Hikaru Chuushin no Taiyou no Jutsu!"

--

The grappled pair rose higher and higher into the air like a burning flare. All eyes watched as they reached the apex of their flight, Gai's form glowing brighter and brighter.

There was a brilliant flash, followed a second later by a massive concussion of force and sound, loud and strong enought to shatter windows across the entire village. Smoke hung in the air, barely visible to dazzled eyes, and a white, translucent serpent coiled and writhed in the sky. Unbodied, its essence still bled from its rent and spasming form, as it suddenly darted off, flying at dreadful pace to the North.

The sight of a ghostly serpent fleeing the battle broke what litle remained of the attacker's morale. They too began to flee, many escaping, while their comrades were cut down like wheat as they ran.

The battle was finally over, save for Gaara... and Naruto.

--

-the host of the first ATMA is in flight-

-your pet project is certainly proving worthwhile Ishi laphuniri kilawarata hagateta-

-despite the unforeseen complications it performs quite well-

-...-

-Ishi we sense uncertainty in you-

-the uzumakinaruto is still increasing its power-

-has the host of the first ATMA reached maximum output-

-affirmative-

-Taka homaratuchi dohemnaphuniri what is the status of the containment measures-

-unfinished more time is required-

-we may still need it continue your efforts-

-wasn't the battle lust of the ninth ATMA negated when we worked on the uzumakinaruto-

-I saw to it personally-

-then what is fuelling the uzumakinaruto's rage-

-the chakra parasite-

-no this is not the result of external forces-

-then what Amaro lemnionna kajeshni-

-my modifications to the chakra parasite have gone dormant since the early stages of the fight it is clear that the bipeds have somehow found a means by which to suppress it without negating it-

-fascinating I wonder how they managed it-

-the two hosts are on the move-

-they are coming this way-

-we need containment measures now-

-they are not ready we need an alternative now-

-summon the kikai-

-they cannot suppress the power of the ninth ATMA-

-we do not need to stop the ninth ATMA the uzumakinaruto is in pursuit of the first ATMA-

-do it-

--

The Aburame clan never told the village, but they were not the ones to defeat the fleeing Shukaku. As the Kikaichu beetles rose from their bodies, without orders, the Aburame already engaged in battle retreated to the shadows to hide their vulnerability. As one, every non queen kikaichu in Konohagakure flew towards the Forest of Death, descending on Shukaku like a plague of locusts. Sand, deprived of the chakra that gave it form, fell away from the monstrous body in clumps that drowned vegetation, buried small, fleeing animals, and crushed the small huts on the fence surrounding the training ground.

The clan gained much honor from the defeat of the Shukaku in the following days. But to admit that they had not sent the beetles would touch upon the deepest and most dangerous secret of the Aburame clan.

The truth of the matter is, that while most of the time the beetles would selflessly and unswervingly carry out any request or command of the Aburame that hosted them, the Aburame clan does not in fact control the beetles.

The beetles control the clan.

--

The cloak of the Kyuubii died away as Naruto walked towards the fallen Gaara, exhaustion and pain etched into his face as Naruto strode forward like an executioner, the tool of his trade in hand. Gaara futilely attempted to crawl away, but the fence which Shukaku had not quite reached stopped him cold.

As Naruto took a two handed grip on Kubikiri Houcho, a tall, white haired man wearing a hitai ate engraved with the kanji for oil landed behind him. Naruto spun, sensing the new arrival, but a sealing tag slapped onto his forehead stole the strength from his limbs and he collapsed, helpless to the ground, as the stranger knealt next to Gaara and checked him over.

"Hmmm. Chakra exhaustion and lacerations, bruising... Lost your hand. That's gonna be problematic if I make my guess. Still, all the dead and captured invading ninja means we'll have plenty of spare parts to fix you up with, hmm? A lot easier than replacing eyes, at any rate." The large man stood up, and looked over at Naruto. "Sorry about that kid. Til I'm sure you're not gonna fly off the handle and kill Gaara here, I'm afraid you're gonna stay restrained. Still, keeping him busy in that arena during the invasion, you saved a great many lives. Good job."

Naruto squinted, trying to make out the face that somehow seemed familiar to him. For some reason, he couldn't seem to contact the Kyuubii, couldn't summon chakra, couldn't move. "Do.. I... know... you?"

A look of sadness crossed the man's face, crinkling slightly the red lines painted there. "Not... no. Maybe once upon a time, but not anymore."

Before Naruto could really puzzle the meaning of those words out, he passed out.

End Chapter Twenty-Eight.

-AN; Much more prompt than the preceding chapter. We have one more chapter to go before the time skip, and it's a whopper. Changes have happened, and the world you all know and are familiar with is going to be altered forever.

Omake:

Naruto gazed upwards at the monstrous form of Shukaku unleashed- finesse would no longer suffice to win this battle. Only the sheer, overwhleming power inside him would do.

**"ANY LAST WORDS, INSECT?"** Roared Shukaku, grinning malevolently down at his prey.

"Actually, yeah." Naruto said, the red chakra welling out of his skin and armoring him as he glared defiantly up at the bijuu. "You don't scare me- don't you know who I am? I'm the JUGGERNAUT, BITCH!"

End Omake

Ja Mata.

-AXENOME


	33. Chapter Twenty Nine: Rogue Fox

-AN: Provided for the edification of my loyal(?) fan following, as I received a review and a couple pm's about it, I give you the following definition.

Heroic peanut: _Noun_ (he-ROW-ik' PEE-nuht). 1) A peanut that valiantly sacrifices itself to choke to death a nobleman, high ranking military officer, or powerful politician or business man. _e.g. "You killed a senator with a PEANUT?!" "It was a heroic peanut." _2) (as in "eat a heroic peanut") Indicative of an individual or collection of individuals that sacrifices him/her/theirself in the face of overwhelming odds for the purpose of serving a greater good, despite the fact that failure is almost a certainty. _e.g. "So what do we do if we can't escape and we're that badly outnumbered?" "Then we eat a heroic peanut and go down fighting." _Note on usage: In this second form, can be combined with a particular service or profession that prides itself on duty before life and limb, such as "Heroic Marine Peanut," "Heroic ANBU Peanut," or "Heroic SAS Peanut."

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: Rogue Fox**

Konoha takes care of its own.

Right now that message was doubly important- Temari, Gaara, Kankuro, and their Jounin sensei Baki had defected from Sunagakure in exchange for advance notice of the invasion. It was due to this fact and this fact alone that a terrible tragedy was averted; as it was, some stragglers from the Konoha academy were found after the battle, all of them dead by drowning. Without the advance notice to evacuate, all of the teachers, students, and staff of the academy likely would have been killed by Takigakure.

Even so, Konoha was not unscathed by the tragedy. Sarutobi Konohamaru was one of those stragglers. Taken together with the death of his grandfather- listed as a victim of a surprise attack by Orochimaru before the latter was killed by the self sacrificing actions of Maito Gai- there is now only one remaining Sarutobi left in Konoha.

To date, every clan that has held the office of Hokage has been whittled down to one remaining member. This has not gone unnoticed- and those who have noticed are resolved to ensure that in all possible cases, one does not become zero.

Because Konoha takes care of its own.

--

"This is new." Jiraiya said gruffly.

A trio of ANBU stood by, as Jiraiya examined Gaara's seal. A chakra suppression tag covered Gaara's forehead, one that had the interesting side effect of knocking Gaara into a solid, deep sleep. The chakra which made Gaara not dare to sleep was the very thing which permitted him to do without it. Cruel irony, that.

"Hokage sama?" Asked the cat masked ANBU. His neighbor, the senior of the three, nudged him none-too-gently with a sharp elbow.

"My apologies, Hokage sama." The owl masked woman voiced. "Neko is still new."

Jiraiya shook his head. "No apologies needed, Fukurou. I was thinking out loud. It's not as though we're in the field." After a moment, Jiraiya grunted, "And Tsunade hasn't given an answer yet, so I'm not the Hokage. Stop calling me that."

Owl sniffed disdainfully, completely disregarding Jiraiya's request. "Still, it's poor tradecraft. Builds sloppy habits."

Jiraiya didn't answer that. Instead, he continued with his prior line of thought. "Whoever sealed the ichibii into this kid evidently didn't know how to craft an inhibitor seal. So they didn't even try." He looked over to Owl. "Fukurou, please send for Chouji."

"Yes, Hokage sama." Replied Owl, smirking slightly beneath her mask at his irritated growl. She opened the door and nodded to the third ANBU standing just outside it, who wore a pig mask. "Buta, bring him in please."

In seconds, Chouji was paying rapt attention as Jiraiya lectured. "Note that in absence of the inhibitor seal, the flow of chakra is not unrestricted. Instead they crafted a series of resistor seals that, when activated by an overflow or the host's will, turns the flow of chakra back on itself." Jiraiya looked over at Chouji expectantly, watching the genin's eyes. He saw genuine interest, eagerness, but no real comprehension.

The toad sennin sighed. Time to spell it out. "Do you see this series of jump sigils? As chakra follows this circuit, it blocks chakra from jumping across it in the paths that run past it in this perpendicular fashion. With the sheer number of them, each of them able to be turned on and off by the host, or automatically activating if the bijuu attempts to flood his system with too much chakra, functions as a variable form inhibitor seal would but with higher redundancy and fine control."

Chouji looked upwards, piecing it together for a couple of seconds. "But... what about the bijuu? Couldn't it still influence the host by harassing him constantly that way without a real inhibitor in place?"

Jiraiya nodded. Chouji might be a raw novice at seal work but he picked up the subtleties quickly- and once he learned it, he was pretty good at connecting the dots. "They probably thought that its ability to influence its surroundings being controlled by the host would keep it from wreaking too much havoc. They apparently didn't realize- or else didn't care- that a childhood of angry, bloodthirsty whispers and urgings would drive him batshit insane."

Chouji thought more about this. "But then... what about Naruto?"

Jiraiya sighed. "Naruto seems to have done something no other host has ever done- somehow, he seems to be in complete control of his bijuu."

Chouji frowned deeper. "Even if he is in control of his demon, and not... um... batshit insane... still from what people say, isn't he a bit crazy too?"

"Maybe." Jiraiya replied. "But then, probably not much more so than any other shinobi. We all get that way, and even if his is more than that, well, sometimes you get the same symptoms from knowing things that nobody else knows."

"Like what?" Pressed Chouji.

The Sennin turned his stare back at the unconscious Gaara. "Who knows? That wasn't really why I called you in here anyways. I called you in to show you a solution to Gaara's problem. Here's what needs to be done..."

--

Naruto had been awake for all of five minutes before his day began going downhill. As he clambored out from underneath his bed, he heard a noise come from the door to the outside hall.

A paper had been slid under the door onto the wood panels of his front entryway.

Naruto frowned, puzzled. He doubted it was from anyone on Team Akachi; they had their own methods of clandestine communication, and none of them were so blase or pedestrian as passing notes.

Naruto took a few short steps to the door, before hesitantly bending down and picking the page up. His expression grew grimmer as he read two circled words about mid page, until he got to the bottom of the page and saw the three names written there. Then his mouth fell open, his eyes went wide, and he stood frozen in disbelieving shock.

That shock lasted barely two seconds, then Naruto growled out, "Oh, HELL no."

--

Kakashi looked over the results of the chuunin exam for team Akachi in disgust. _Are they insane? _He asked himself. _What kind of justification is this? _"As Uzumaki Naruto's match regrettably never occured within the boundaries of the chuunin exam proper, as in-as-much as the majority of those who would be voting on his qualification to the post, title, priveleges, and duties of chuunin were incapactitated during the time in which he battled, and considering that it was found necessary for him to be restrained to prevent him from killing a defector to the village, it is regrettably our decision that Uzumaki Naruto has not sufficiently displayed qualities necessary for promotion. Therefore, this application to the rank of chuunin has been rejected. We wish the applicant luck in a subsequent application in the future. This decision may be over-ridden by the Hokage in attendance to the exam; to petition please seek out form 122k in the Hokage's office for more detailed information on this procedure."

"I know what it says; I was a little appalled by it myself." Jiraiya answered, sitting behind the desk with his fingers laced together in a semi relaxed fashion across the hardwood surface. "And the hell of it is that it probably wasn't even necessary." He shrugged unhappily. "The Sandaime stopped communicating back to me what was going on with Naruto months ago. And in the past, whenever a jinchuuriki manifested one or more tails, they were so lost in bloodlust and rage that attempting to speak with them would be tantamount to suicide. To honor the terms of the Suna team's defection to Konoha, we had to capture and treat Gaara's affliction by the Ichibii, do anything in our power to help him. Konoha cares for its own, and as soon as that deal was struck they were our own. I couldn't take the risk that Naruto might not listen to me."

Kakashi was struck suddenly by comprehension. "And without the communique's from the Sandaime, you literally had no idea that he was turning out to be anything other than a typical jinchuuriki-"

"-Because the last report I received from him was in the middle of the mission to Uchiumi no Kame." Jiraiya finished for him.

Uchiumi no Kame was the mission that had come in two days after the return from the mission to the bandit camp. As Naruto's team had made quick work of the bandits, the Sandaime had assigned this to them. Another fairly quick, easy mission, search and destroy in the middle of a small town of a genin ranked nuke-nin that had been causing a fair bit of disturbance. A former Iwagakure infiltration specialist with a kekkei genkai, he'd been doing a number of breaking and entering jobs, petty thefts that had grown in daring and magnitude over the course of several weeks. Iwa's reward for him was negligible as he was merely a genin with as yet incomplete mastery over his bloodline. Since examples of it had been captured during the preceding shinobi war and most villages considered the bloodline more trouble than it was worth to attempt to replicate it, especially as the Byakugan was a perfect counter for its espionage based abilities, there was not even a request to hand in the body undefiled.

He'd finally attracted enough notice to warrant a professional exterminator when in the course of an escape from some local guards, he severely wounded one, costing the man an eye. The Sandaime had seen an opportunity to start opening at least slightly more cordial relations with a passively hostile hidden village (a work he apparently decided to leave to his successor to continue as he'd gone rogue the day following the assignment) and so ordered that team Seven be dispatched to deal with it. A high "C" ranked assignment, supervisory member tokabetsu jounin Mitarashi Anko. It was considered to be good training for the three of them to hunt down a low ranked nuke nin.

Except, as in the mission to Nami no Kuni, Something Went Wrong.

The roots of this nuke nin infestation went deeper than expected. A small cel of nuke nin had formed in Uchiumi no Kame, and was being run by a minor shinobi clan that had no village affiliation. The clan- Jagakemuri- had a deadman switch on the town connected directly to the lives of the four members of the cel. Should one of them be killed by a jutsu or even a weapon bearing traces of shaped chakra, the hideouts- and the majority of the town- would go up in flames to ensure that no trace of their operations would be found.

When Kubikiri Houcho's edge ended the life of the nuke nin Kurita Hohiro, the dead man switch went off, and Uchiumi no Kame burned.

The initial report sent back to Konoha was that Naruto had somehow destroyed Uchiumi no Kame accidentally, and that the team was investigating to try and find some remaining evidence of the cel. Most likely this was what had spurred the Sandaime into action and sent him rogue; the knowledge that this disaster likely gave Danzou the leverage he needed to begin his political coup in earnest. When the second report came in less than eighteen hours later, Sarutobi Hiruzen had already begun his last mission, and the acting Hokage- at the time, Kakashi himself- had no idea of the covert communication between the Gama sennin and the Sandaime. And so he hadn't continued it.

"And until you were nominated officially to the office after the battle, you had no access to Uzumaki's records." Kakashi said irritably. "Meaning you had no way of knowing that it was really clan Jagakemuri that destroyed Uchiumi no Kame because of Kurita Hohiro."

Jiraiya grunted. "Worst part is I can't even override the chunin exam decision. Being that there WASN'T a Hokage in attendance, the ruling can't be appealed through official channels. But I have an out for him."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "And what would that be?"

Jiraiya smiled craftily. "Well, I can't speak for Tsunade, but should they manage to pin the Hokage badge on me for good, I intend to field promote him to make up for it."  
"Generous of you." Kakashi replied drily.

"Not really. His record rates it." Jiraiya said, blithely ignoring Kakashi's sarcasm. "And frankly, I heard from a few of the jounin on the scene- proctors, primarily- that in training ground forty four he managed to severely wound Orochimaru- enough so to cause him to shed his body."

"I was there as well- I saw the remains." Kakashi acknowledged. "I might not have seen the technique in twenty years, but I remember-"

There was a knock on the door. Kakashi felt a foreboding sense of Deja-vu. _I do not believe in precognition, I do not... oh who the fuck am I kidding._

"Enter." Jiraiya said.

The door opened, and Asuma stood there with an uncertain look on his face. "Ah... Hokage-sama-"  
"Acting Hokage." Jiraiya said tiredly, rubbing his hand across his forehead. "And drop the sama, for Kami's sake."

"... As you say, Jiraiya-sama. But has there been a procedural change for announcing the promotions from the exam?" He continued after a second.

Jiraiya frowned. "I hadn't made any that I know of."

Asuma's encertainty congealed into a look of profound unhappiness. He popped a cigarette into his mouth and lit it, clearly trying to organize his next words carefully."Then... Someone has... exceeded the boundaries of their authority."

In moments, Kakashi and Jiraiya were both introduced to the source of Asuma's discomfort: Someone had posted the results of the chunin exam in multiple locations all over town, and on each notice, next to Team Akachi: Uzumaki Naruto, were circled the words: "Promotion denied."

--

Four hours later:

No sooner had the councilors left the office, than Naruto walked in. Jiraiya's eyes took in his appearance, then the older man set aside the papers he was working on and leaned back in his chair, folding his hands on the desk. "Hello, Uzumaki-san. My secretary said that you had something on your mind?"

"Hokage sama, may I ask why the three nin from Suna received promotions." Naruto's voice was flat and emotionless.

"They received their promotions for conduct deemed worthy of chunin- and they are no longer Suna, they're Konoha shinobi now." Jiraiya answered, seeming a little on the defensive but not particularly uncomfortable.

"I feel the need to point out, Hokage-sama, that Kankuro was eliminated in the preliminaries." Naruto responded.

Ah. THERE came the discomfort. "I am not at liberty to discuss- or indeed aware of the particulars- why those who voted on chunin selection deemed Kankuro fit to pass- but I suspect that it may have been their defection to Konoha, bringing vital information regarding the incoming invasion. Point of fact, without their defection and subsequent assistance, Konoha might not be here today."

For one long, agonizing second, Naruto was tempted to ask where Konoha would have been had he not tied up a rampaging Bijuu's attention for the better part of an hour, but the moment passed, and Naruto swallowed the bitter lump in his throat. "I see."

Jiraiya's eyes softened a moment. "I was not given the privelege of voting on chunin selection- but the possibility exists of promotion outside sanctioned exams, should your performance in future missions make it worthwhile."

Naruto's emotions churned suddenly, the likes of which Naruto hadn't felt in over a month. Had this man even looked at his record? Naruto didn't show any of his thoughts on his face, but instead straightened up slightly. "Acknowledged, sir. Permission to leave?"

Jiraiya looked at him for a few more seconds before he nodded. "Granted. You are dismissed, Uzumaki-san."

Naruto turned and walked to the door, opened it, and left.

Jiraiya reached for the papers again, but stopped as there was a knock on the door. _Kami, what now?_ Jiraiya grumbled irritably. For a moment he considered creating a Kage Bunshin to do the paperwork while he dealt with his visitors, but dismissed the idea out of hand. It would look rather rude to be sitting there doing work while his clone sat right by listening to whatever the visitor had to say- or whatever.

If it was those councilors again, he'd do it.

"Enter."

The door opened, and Tsunade stood there.

"So." Said Jiraiya.

"So." Acknowledged Tsunade.

They looked at one another across the Hokage's desk, before Jiraiya motioned for her to sit down. There was a pregnant pause, one ended by the Hokage. "This should have been your job, Tsunade. I'm not cut out for- not even fit for- the duty of Hokage."

"You'd rather have an alcoholic gambling addict?" Asked Tsunade with a wry smile.

Jiraiya snorted. "Better than a geriatric lech." He replied. "I'm a spymaster, not a leader."

"You're strong enough to do the job. And if you can manage a continent wide network of spies, most of whom you have to work constantly to ensure their loyalty and honesty, then it should be a comfortable change to managing a single village of people whose loyalty is to the village."

Jiraiya gave a pained, silent chuckle. "And that's the biggest problem. It's why you never stopped hurting and never got over Dan's death, why you retired, and ultimately I suppose even why you refused the position of Hokage. You were always so naive and innocent." Jiraiya stood up from the desk and walked over to the window, looking out at the Hokage monument. The clear air made the monument look close and small; for a moment he wanted to reach out the window and touch the face of Sarutobi-sensei. It had never looked so small and close when he'd been a simple spy master- the Hokage's were always enormous, out of reach. Now, though, they looked like ordinary men, fallible and human and even a little lost, but trying to fill the shoes of the perfect leader. Or was he simply projecting his own doubts and fears onto their faces? Jiraiya didn't know, and wasn't really sure it even mattered. He was on his own, now.

"So why am I so naive and innocent?" Tsunade asked sullenly, her arms crossed in from of her- _Focus, Jiraiya. More important things to discuss right now than (Jugs) her physical (creamy white look so soft and touchable) DAMMIT! _

"Eh, probably your innate prudishness." Jiraiya said with a grin, as much to tear his mind away from its previous path as anything else.

"Dammit Jiriaya!" Tsunade yelled, but Jiraiya raised a hand.

"I know what you meant, Tsunade." He answered, sighing. "Trouble is, the game I have to play as a spymaster is the same as for the Hokage. Except I'm now on constant duty. With spies, there's no pretense. They're quite open about the fact that they're in it for themselves and their own interests. But the clan heads and civilean leaders hide it behind a facade of pretended patriotism, and can't be bought off or bribed ot intimidated into falling into line. And the stakes are so much higher. Failing to maintain a proper hold over a single spy can have bad consequences, but spies are cheap. A spy that betrays the organization is expendable, and any decent spy master sets up his network to be compartmentalized to minimize damage. The clans, the civilian leaders, all of them are as charming as kittens, cunning as foxes, and deadly as vipers. And none of them are expendable. I"m juggling bags of caltrops wrapped in explosive notes while walking a tightrope a hundred feet up, and there's no safety net. The stakes are too high for a nobody like me. I don't belong here. The village needs a respected ninja from a powerful family to become Hokage. Someone from the Hyuuga. Or better yet, the Senju."

"The Hyuuga are too proud, too arrogant, to make Hokage. And the Senju clan is dead. After I'm gone, we exist only in the history books." Tsunade said. "You weren't given your strength, you earned it. You weren't raised to be an elite ninja, you clawed your way through the ranks, paying for everything you would ever have or learn with your determination and blood."

Jiraiya snorted. "Aren't you afraid I'll try to pass some law permitting voyeurism?"

Tsunade's eyes narrowed, before she chuckled. "I'm expecting you won't have any time."

Jiraiya sighed dismally. "You're probably right. So much for being a world famous author."

"I've been saying that since your first book." Tsunade laughed.

Jiraiya's unfriendly look went completely ignored. He shook his head. "But that time factor is a very serious issue, hime." He went on. "Konoha has a very vital need for the information we get from the network, especially now. Part of the means by which I maintained reliability of my contacts was through my mobility, the fact that I could pop in on them at any time. As Hokage I have no freedom of momvement to speak of. I have maybe a week before my counterparts in the other elemental nations realize our vulnerability and compromise my network beyond salvageability. I need a successor and I need him NOW."

Tsunade looked thoughtful. "And you want names from me? I've been out of circulation for twelve years; what makes you think I can do this?"

"You've always been the smartest of our little group, hime." Jiraiya answered. "And you've always kept your ear to the ground. I know you kept dossiers on everyone in the village long after you left. I'm just asking you to consult those dossiers and find me a couple of candidates."

Tsunade sat back in her chair, a distant look in her eyes as she considered this. "I can think of a couple likely candidates off the top of my head."

Jiraiya motioned for her to continue.

She did so. "First would be councilor Danzou, but for... obvious reasons, that is not possible. My next choice would be Yamanaka Inoichi."

Jiraiya grunted. "That would leave Ibiki shorthanded at T&I. Not to mention I'm not keen on the idea of sending Yamanaka out on extended mission; he's married, he has family. Separation from his family could have bad effects on his performance. Any other ideas?"

Tsunade shrugged. "Then Nara Shikaku is out. He's even more married than Inoichi."

"You mean henpecked." Jiraiya said with a smirk.

"Jiraiya..." Tsunade growled.

"So I assume you aren't going to say Chouza next." Jiraiya said, ignoring the note of warning in her voice. "He's too gentle- and too conspicuous."

"Actually," Tsunade said, "I have one other person in mind, who might be a better choice than either of them. Trouble is, he's only a chunin."

Jiraiya grunted again. "Not necessarily a handicap. I'd prefer a jounin, but a chunin with enough smarts might be able to hack the job."

"I don't think smarts are an issue." Tsunade replied glibly. "This chunin is one of our best and brightest. Nara Shikamaru."

"Him?" Jiraiya asked, startled. "He's only just been promoted!" He's not ready for something like this. End of subject. Anyone else?"

Jiraiya wasn't the only one who could ignore hints- "He's one of the three most talented shinobi of his generation- and of those three, he's the single most intelligent. He's a fast learner, he's trustworthy, and he's innovative. He can do the job at least as well as you have, and if you take the time to look at the matter objectively, you already know that as well as I do."

"He's not experienced enough." Jiraiya argued. "He's been a full fledged ninja for a little under five and a half months. He's never been a part of an infiltration unit and he's never been a spy. He doesn't have the background. I don't care how smart he is, he's NOT qualified."

"Then teach him." Tsunade countered. "Like I said, he's a fast leaner. He'll do fine."

--

Naruto stopped, listening. Someone was following him.

Knowing he had been spotted, Haku stepped out of cover. "Where are you going, Naruto sama?"

Naruto shrugged. "Away from here. I'm done."

Haku's eyes were bright. "Take me with you."

Naruto sighed. "No."  
"Why not?" Haku demanded.

Naruto looked up at the village gates. The moon was barely above the mountains, only a few scant hours away from dawn; he'd almost made it out unseen. "Because I'm not coming back. They'll kill me before I let them bring me back. You have a life here, now, a future." Naruto blurred out of sight; Haku tried to follow but Naruto was too fast for him. A hand reached out and Haku felt his chakra desert him; exhausted, suddenly, he collapsed to the ground. The last words he heard were, "I won't let you throw that away."

--

"Naruto!" Shouted Sasuke.

The blonde haired shinobi paused at the based of a tree, as Sasuke raced ahead to meet him. Sasuke's paced slowed as he drew near, Naruto waiting.

A jog.

A trot.

A tentative walk.

Sasuke stopped as well, only a few short steps behind Naruto. The jinchuriki made no motion.

Finally, Sasuke asked, "Why."

Naruto shook his head. "Walk with me, for a minute."

Naruto began to walk, and Sasuke followed. Neither one spoke.

The quiet of the forest was giving way now to a growing rushing of water; if Sasuke had to guess, he'd say there was a waterfall up ahead. Within several more minutes he was proven correct. The details which surprised him were the two colossal stone ninja statues to either side of the basin. Naruto turned back to face him.

"Sasuke." Naruto said. "I'm not going back."

Sasuke scowled. "You never answered my question."

"Konoha never wanted me. And now, they don't need me, either." The blonde replied. "They have lots of protectors, now. You, Shikamaru, lots of people- They even have a new Jinchuuriki."

Sasuke gaped at him. "You're jealous. Now that there's another jinchuuriki like you, you're not special anymore."

Naruto's eyes went cold. "'Special', Teme? Is that what you think this is about, being special?" Naruto was suddenly in Sasuke's space, violence held carefully in check. "You self centered son of a bitch, you think this is about my fucking EGO?"

"Of course it is!" Sasuke yelled right back, the two of them almost nose to nose. "As long as you're the only one like you in the village, then you're free to crucify yourself and bleed in your self righteous msrtyrdom while people hate you, because you can convince yourself that it's because you've got that thing sealed inside of you. But if there's another one around, you don't have a choice but to admit to yourself that maybe it's not the demon, it's YOU!"

Naruto clenched a fist and lashed out, a wild, angry swing that Sasuke ducked easily. Sasuke countered with an elbow aimed for just under Naruto's collarbone a bare inch from his right shoulder, but by this time Naruto had regained his wits, and his recklessness was reigned in almost immediately. Sasuke's elbow was deflected by Naruto's forearm.

For about thirty seconds there were no words, only muited grunts and impacts of fists barely audible over the sounds of the pounding waterfall. Then, both of them flew backwards as they landed blows on one another simultaneously, Naruto carroming wildly off of a tree while Sasuke flew into the water. Sasuke rolled on the water, regaining his feet. Naruto brushed off leaves and twigs while levelling a glare at the Uchiha that was almost hate. "You bastard, that's the fucking POINT! All I've done, all I've EVER done as a shinobi, is do my best to finish the mission and protect my comrades. And the village welcomes into their midst a fucking mass murdering madman who is ALSO a jinchuuriki, and they pity him for his past- but they still fucking hate ME?!" Naruto's eyes were filling with tears and Sasuke was stunned; Naruto hadn't shown emotion like this since the second exam. Sasuke had honestly thought Naruto no longer had the capacity.

Naruto went on. "I tried for years, Sasuke. At first, I thought I was bad. At least, that's what parents kept telling their kids so they'd stay away from me, whether I was out of earshot or not. I thought it was maybe because I didn't have any parents. When I was good people ignored me so I started to BE bad, anything to get people to look at me. I almost didn't come back after I left the first time, but I was scared, and I didn't know anything but Konoha. So I came back. But nothing really changed. Iruka sensei told me that I passed when I came back. And he started hanging out with me, spending time with me. And then... just when I thought he was my friend, thought I could trust him above anyone in the village, he was sent to try and kill me. Betrayal, Sasuke. That's what trust gets you. Betrayal and pain. The only thing I can trust is myself and my instincts, and right now my instincts tell me that there's nothing left here for me. I was willing to give my life during the invasion to protect all or even any one of them, and they all but spit in my face for it. And it taught me something. It taught me that if I ever want to live a life of my own, I need to be far, far away from Konoha. I need to leave and never come back." Naruto turned away on the water and began walking, but Sasuke's voice stopped him.

"People care." Sasuke protested. "You have friends. Civilians and ninja alike."

"Bullshit." Naruto replied, but didn't start walking.

"Kakashi-sensei. Shikamaru. Lee. Anko-sensei. They all like you They don't want you to leave." Sasuke paused. "I... don't want you to leave."

"Five names." Naruto said. "Sasuke, how many people live in Konoha, do you know?"

"Haku!" Sasuke continued desperately. "Hinata, even that girl Temari!"

"Thousands, Sasuke! Even if I were to believe that list of people, there's too much hate!" Naruto yelled.

"God dammit, Naruto!" Sasuke shouted back. "Everyone I've ever believed in, trusted, anyone I've ever called family has left me behind! Not you too! I can't have you leave me too! I won't let you!"

Naruto laughed harshly, and turned back to face him fully. "'Let?' You won't 'Let' me?" Naruto spit sideways into the water. "Newsflash, teme. I've already left. There's no 'Let' involved. I'm going, I'm outside Konoha. I'm not stoppingfor you or anyone else."

"You won't go to that bridge, Uzumaki. I won't let you go to Orochimaru." Sasuke said. As Naruto's eyes narrowed, Sasuke smirked. "Hinata can read lips too."

"And so even she talks about me behind my back." Naruto said, fists clenching again. "She says she loves me and she'll still betray me, because I wanted to save her the pain of what would happen to any kids we had together."

"She didn't betray you, she tried to save you! She told us so we could stop you before Orochimaru took you and used you for his plans!" Sasuke pleaded. "Wake up! Orochimaru will destroy you! He'll use you until there's nothing left then he'll throw you away!"

"Not your concern, teme." Naruto answered. "I'm not your teammate anymore."

"I'll beat you senseless and drag you back myself!" Sasuke threatened.

Naruto snorted. "You can't beat me. You're not fast enough, strong enough, or tough enough to take me."

"We'll just have to see about that, won't we?" Sasuke said, dropping into a ready stance.

Their eyes locked for a long moment, as the waterfall pounded behind them.

Sasuke chuckled suddenly. "Remember the academy?"

Naruto nodded. "You were the top of the class. Everyone admired you. Me especially."

Sasuke frowned. "What happened?"

Naruto set himself into his own fighting stance. "That was just school. A thin mock up, a pretense, just a training camp. Then we got into the real world."

"You were so far behind me." Sasuke said. "How did you become my equal?"

"Equals?" Naruto remarked with incredulous scorn. "We;ve never been equals. In the academy, you were what I wanted to be, and here in the real world, our positions are reversed."

"I AM your equal, Naruto."

"Then don't hold back."

Water fountained skyward and dirt showered the trees as the two of them met at the bank of the water. Sasuke tried to slip outside the punch while driving a knee into Naruto's stomach, but at the last second Naruto gave a short forward hop and tumbled over it.

The blonde caught his forward motion in a short handstand and transferred his motion into a split legged kick that dropped a blow like a tumbling boulder onto Sasuke's shoulder, but even as the kick landed the Uchiha delivered a mule kick the was perfectly chambered from his knee strike. This time it was Naruto who went into the water, curled over his solar plexus, tumbling across the water almost like a skipping stone before slowing enough to fall under the surface of the river.

Sasuke took the momentary reprieve to jerk his dislocated shoulder back into place with a stifled scream. His relief was shortlived as he felt a mammoth impact in the center of his back. "Sloppy, teme." Naruto's voice said, as Sasuke felt his face pressed into the muddy river Sasuke vanished in a puff of smoke as hands burst through the mud at Naruto's feet. "Doton: Shinju Zanshu no Jutsu!"Naruto was yanked neck deep into the muck; Sasuke burst from the ground, already prepared to deliver the knockout punch, when a dome of earth arose around them, it's inner layer turning to glass.

Naruto's eyes were regretful. "I warned you not to hold back, Teme."

--

Outside the dome, standing on the water, Naruto stood on the surface of the river, ignoring the throbbing of his bruised stomach as the glass exploded inwards. Naruto raised his left hand in the seal of the Tiger. "Katsu."

There was a low "Krump" as the clone in the dome detonated, and the earthen hemisphere was scattered across the landscape. Naruto watched the dirt and rocks land, pattering and thumping on the shore while splasshing and rippling the water. After a moment, he began speaking. "You don't get it, do you, Sasuke?"

"You could have killed me with that." Sasuke said, disbelieving, as lightning still sparked off the hand he'd punched through the side of the dome. He'd not escaped unscathed, and stipples of blood were welling up on his exposed skin and on the back of his shirt. "You TRIED to kill me."

"This isn't a game anymore. That kid who juggled clones on the mission to Nami no Kuni, the one who played around with Kabuto's dossier cards? He's gone. The trees took him and didn't give him back. I'm Naruto, the one who can't pretend and fake cheerfulness, the one who doesn't feel guilty. The one who won't live in a place where they hate him."

Sasuke glared at him. "You still cared. Back at the end of the second exam. What happened?"

Naruto laughed bitterly. It was an even uglier and more hateful sound than the last one. "What can you think of a village whose Kage goes Nuke-nin?"

Sasuke's eyes widened. "What?" His voise was incredulous, disbelieving.

Naruto smiled. "Yes. You heard me. The Sandaime Hokage went Nuke-nin. They found him dead, over the body of one of the village council."

"You're lying."  
"You wish." Naruto said coldly.

"You're trying to throw me off. Trying to get... get me off balance." Sasuke protested weakly.

"I don't need you off balance, teme. That a little thing like this can throw you off is another proof that we're on totally different levels, you and I. And you can't make me stay here."

"So you're really willing to kill me, then?" Sasuke asked. "You're willing to end my life to keep me from taking you home?"

**"Konoha has NEVER been my home!"** Naruto roared, and the water at his feet echoed his rage as it churned and roiled with the force of his emotion, as red chakra began to leak out of his skin. He forced it back with an effort of will. "A home is a place where you are welcome... a place where you are safe... a place where you will fight to protect! I've never HAD the first two, and I no longer have even the third! You've had a home, Sasuke, you and all the others. I've merely had a bed, the sort others would throw away if it was in their house. That's how I got it. I've had a roof that was given to me by the Sandaime Hokage. I've had food that other people wouldn't touch, or the kind of food that nobody takes seriously. Do you know why I liked ramen?Because Teuchi san sold it to me as a customer. Because for a few minutes, behind that curtain on the bar stool, I could pretend I was just another normal person, instead of someone that everyone hated and avoided. But that pretense, that fantasy, it's gone now."

Naruto tore off his hitai ate, the same one that Iruka had given after his return, that he'd carefully reshaped after Gaara smashed it, that he'd worn with pride and dignity, and scored across the Konoha leaf with the same technique he used to scar himself with. "I am no longer a shinobi of Konohagakure!"

Sasuke closed his eyes and growled. "You betray the memories of every shinobi who died in the invasion. You betray the memory of the Hokages. And you betray me. Me and all of team Akachi." Sasuke spit, eyes still closed. "You're no better than Itachi."

"And you stand no more chance of beating me than you ever did of beating him." Naruto said coldly. "So here's the deal, teme. You beat me, now or ever, you may have what it takes to beat him. But there's a time limit. Because if you can't find and beat me within three years, I'll do it for you."

Sasuke growled. "I always figured you'd be helping me when the time came. Not like this."

Naruto shrugged. "Everyone has their limits. Even me."

Sasuke's eyes opened, and trebled black tomoe whirled around red irises.

Naruto laughed loud, a deep belly laugh that held a dark humor. "Oh, bastard, you should have stayed smart and left dojutsus out of it."

"You can't see chakra." Sasuke said, preparing himself.

"No... not directly, it's true... but..." Naruto's eyes blinked, and faded into the jet black of Kamigan. "I studied a little bit under Tsunade of the Sannin. The knowledge at her disposal is amazing, and she taught me something I've been practicing for a couple weeks. You see, I no longer NEED to see chakra. My eyes have refined themselves to the point that I can see its shape through the effects on your flesh. I can see shape... location... keirakukei..." Naruto lunged forward, driving a hand wreathed in chaotic chakra, "and even tenketsu."

Sasuke parried the blow desperately, instinctively; Naruto's aim changed slightly, and where Sasuke blocked his arm went numb down to the fingertips. Where it affected his sensation, his arms spasmed wildly, the muscles and tendons twitching and clenching uncontrollably. Sasuke staggered backwards, offbalance. He ducked a kick that would have taken his head off, and rolled backwards as Naruto continued the motion, throwing a series of kunai whose purpose was simply to keep him on the defensive and moving backwards. Sasukes functioning hand snapped up a kunai and slit a hole in a bag on his belt; his tumble scattered the caltrops inside right into Naruto's path.

Naruto's advance was relentless as a Kage Bunshin appeared in the midst of the caltrops, boosting Narutohigh into the air without breaking a step. Naruto's clone vanished the moment he was in the air, while his hands flashed independantly of one another. The left hand continued forming signs while the right hand finished the seals for Taiju kage Bunshin- and Sasuke found himself looking at an encircling globe of Kage bunshin facing inwards, each in the finishing stages of Shuriken Kage Bunshin. Sasuke forced his numb hand into the seals for Kawarimi and found almost no resistance; the more complex the jutsu, the worse the interference from whatever Naruto had done to his arm.

As Sasuke landed from his jutsu a hand seized him by the throat; the only object close enough to use for kawarimi was the heavy log upon which the cloud of shuriken was converging. Then all thought was driven from his mind as Naruto headbutted him brutally. The world spun crazily before the ground rose up to slam him in the back, knocking the air out of him. He felt a moment of weightlessness and then it happened again, again, and a fourth time. He couldn't get air, and blackness was creeping in around the edges as his Sharingan released.

Sasuke has a momentary, blurry double vision of Naruto's foot coming down in his facfe, then everything went black. It was his own breathing that alerted him that he hadn't been knocked out; after a second, he realized that the darkness in his vision was simply the lack of light.

"I see you finally chose sides, Shikamaru."

Sasuke rolled sideways from under the wave of darkness to see both Naruto and Shikamaru standing motionless, facing one another, the shield of darkness connecting the two of them narrowing down to a thin line. "Naruto, give up, or we're knocking you out and dragging you back home." Shikamaru said.

"Shikamaru, I'll tell you the same thing I told Sasuke. Konoha isn't my home, and I'm not going back." Naruto replied. "And there isn't a whole lot you can do to stop me."

"I can hold you still long enough for Sasuke to deal with you."

"You're only holding me still because I'm letting you. But then... you don't really understand how your jutsu works, do you?" The blonde asked, and Shikamaru's eyes narrowed.

"Of course I do." Shikamaru said, but a tinge of doubt was creeping into his voice.

"You know how to make it work, of course... But you don't know why it works. Of course, if I told you, you'd know what your were doing wrong, and would be able to fix it, probably. So I think I'll just let you sweat." And Naruto folded his arms, proving it was no bluff.

The key, of course, was the function of Kagemane. By focusing the chakra to reshape the shadow, it allowed the Nara to treat that shadow as an extension of their own keirakukei network, as well as any network of keirakukei that they came in contact with. In a lot of ways, Kagemane was very similar to genjutsu. By infiltrating the target's chakra pathways, they could force the other body to maove in the same fashion as their own, slaving the other's tenketsu, and therefore their muscles, tendons, even chakra flow, to imitate the user. But a person with multiple Keirakukei- like Naruto's triply redundant system- could not be controlled this way, because the user didn't have enough tenketsu and pathways to control all of those possessed by their host. To do so would require an equal number of keirakukei, or else the technique would simply be a waste of chakra.

Could Shikamaru compensate by using two Kage Bunshin to take up the slack? Naruto wouldn't test it out. He woudn't bet against it, either.

"I suppose you're at least partially right, Naruto." Shikamaru said, drawing his shadow back from the Uzumaki boy, encircling himself and Sasuke in a ring of shadow, wary to guard against Naruto crossing the thin line. "But the shadow guides the chakra even as the chakra shapes the shadow, giving it form and substance. It's a foundation art meant to give Nara clan nin a stepping stone to our most advanced techniques." Shikamaru formed the tiger seal himself. "Katsu!"

An exploding tag in the dirt under Naruto's feet detonated, tossing the blonde into the air, where a thine net waited in the low lying branches of the sheltering tree. Naruto's limbs tangled; he landed hard on his side before he could fight his way free. Shikamaru's shield of shadow sprang forward, dividing into dark bands that rapidly bound themselves around Naruto. Between the net and the bands of shadow, his struggles were ineffectual.

Shikamaru scowled. "He got away."

Naruto stopped struggling. "How'd you guess?"

"Because if you were the real Naruto, you wouldn't have stuck around for that tag to go off under your feet." Shikamaru said. "You saw me place it with my shadow, because you had your kamigan engaged. Admit it- you were toying with us, weren't you?"

Naruto shook his head- or rather, the clone did. "Actually, I needed to cover my escape. I know better than to try and take you both on at the same time." The clone paused, and its expression softened. "Be well, Sasuke, Shikamaru."

The clone vanished in a puff of smoke. Sasuke cursed sulfurously. "Dammit- we've lost time. We can still catch him short of the bridge if we-"

"Sasuke. It's over." Shikamaru's voice was laced with fatigue. "He's gone."

Sasuke turned to leave. "Bullshit."

Shikamaru grabbed his shoulder and spun him around, forcing himself not to hesitate at Sasuke's pained wince at the rough treatment of the abused joint. "He's not gonna listen to us. The information we have now points out two important factors: One, Naruto is faster than either of us in open terrain, and has far more endurance than either of only caught up to him because he was taking it easy, thinking nobody would bother to follow him. But then, we already knew he doesn't trust anyone to care enough about him to do so."

Sasuke grimaced angrily. He knew Shikamaru was correct. "And number two?"

"Number two: the two of us aren't strong enough to stop him if he doesn't want to be stopped... but we ARE strong enough that he'd likely have to kill or cripple us to get away. I waited as long as I did to see how serious he was about leaving; My conclusion is that he'd kill or die to do so. Whatever he feels about us, it isn't as strong as his desire to leave." Shikamaru gave a grimace of his own. "We can't do this with just the two of us."

"You mean the three of us-" Sasuke said, then cut himself off thoughtfully.

"Yes." Shikamaru agreed. "You understand now why I opted to leave Haku behind."

"We still should have brought Kakashi sensei, or Anko with us." Sasuke pondered. He knew there was nothing that could be done about it now, but part of him wanted to lash out, find someone or something to lay the blame on.

"If we'd brought them, they would have had no choice but to tell the Hokage in an official fashion. And that would have been the end of Naruto's career, his freedom, and probably his life."Sasuke stared at Shikamaru in shock. "You knew. You KNEW we couldn't take him back." Shikamaru said nothing, and Sasuke continued. "You only brought me because you DO care about him."

Shikamaru sighed, and for a moment he suddenly looked ten years older. "I hoped that him seeing us coming after him might change his mind. And if it didn't, I'd rather see him a fugitive, and know he's free, then see him at home, a prisoner, or worse, dead because of us. Even if he's alive, and still a prisoner, he wouldn't be Naruto anymore. It'd be like killing him, and I don't... I don't want that."

Sasukelooked over at the waterfall. Looking at it made him feel powerless- like staring into Naruto's eyes as he walked away. The Uchiha stuffed his hands into his pockets and looked up at the sky. "Mendokuse."

"True that." Shikamaru replied.

For a few minutes they looked up at the clouds, before they set off back to Konoha.

They said nothing more on their way back.

End Chapter Twenty Nine

-AN: I know last time I said this would be the last chapter before the timeskip, but I hadn't realized quite how much material I had to cover. When you spread out a chapter over five working notebooks and have six to eight pages a piece, you suddenly end up with something like this. And much as I know I should have found a way to break this in two, I found I couldn't. It all NEEDED to be the same chapter, because this- as I have presented it- is what it was.

A little more and I'll be back to working hand to mouth- or rather, pen to keyboard, I guess- unless I somehow finish chapter Thirty One before I finish refining Chapter Thirty for posting.

And I have a litte bit of fun for everyone involved, which states in no uncertain terms how I feel about a certain piece of fannon that I utterly detest.

**Omake**

Homura read over the proposalwith a dispassionate eye. After a few minutes, he looked up at the rest of the room, the irritable expression on his face mirrored by every other member of the council.

"Are we all in agreement, then?" Homura asked.

The chorus on nods and murmurs indicated that, although there had been no discussion of the proposal, neither had one been needed.

Fourteen wadded up pieces of paper flew across the room to pelt the Godaime Hokage. "The council unanimously rejects your proposal for this 'Clan Restoration Act'." Homura announced.

"Pervert." Added Koharu. Linali and a few other women growled agreement.

"Meh." Said Jiraiya with a grin. "Was worth a shot."

**End Omake.**

P.S. Kudos to Battletech fans who can pick out the reference. Getting it in its entirety is worth a bag of Heroic Peanuts.

Ja mata.

-AXENOME


	34. Chapter Thirty: My Brother's Keeper

Chapter Thirty: My Brother's Keeper

Sasuke stood atop the wall, gazing over the ruins of the north Uchiha district. The serpent that had torn through the northwest wall had been bad enough, but the mammoth toad summoned by Jiraiya- _No, the Hokage,_ Sasuke corrected himself- had been destructive on a colossal scale. Sasuke knew that he should be angry, or unhappy, or something... but he wasn't. Or rather, he WAS... but not about that.

"It's going to take weeks to clean this mess up." Said Shikamaru from next to him. Sasuke had to suppress a jolt of surprise.

The topknot sporting chunin pretended not to notice. "Rebuilding it is gonna take even longer, I bet. Mendokuse." Shikamaru sighed, then looked over at Sasuke. "Where do you want to start on that? The council- or what's left of it, anyhow- has two genin work teams on standby, waiting for your word."

Sasuke felt a spike in his simmering anger. That was it. The nebulous feeling that had been bothering him all day. _Nobody even LIVES here anymore._ Sasuke thought to himself. "What about sector nineteen apartments?" He asked out loud.

"Slum district." Shikamaru replied. "They'll get fixed eventually. Why?"

_Because that's where Naruto lives._ Sasuke thought to himself. _But you wouldn't know that because you always met up with us at the tower or the training grounds._

The Uchiha hopped down from the wall into the Uchiha District main street, looking around. Shikamaru followed, puzzled. "Hey, what's gotten into you?"

Sasuke didn't answer, instead stopping in front of one of the few buildings in the area that was still intact, an old Uchiha-run liquor shop. "I think that we should start here."

"Here?" Shikamaru asked. "Why here-"

"Katon: Gokyaku no Jutsu!" Sasuke shouted, his hands forming seals, before he exhaled a massive gout of fire. The force of the blast smashed the door inwards in flaming fragments; the outer wall ignited. For a moment, Shikamaru just gaped, while Sasuke stood by, watching impassively, as the roar of the flames was punctuated by the sound of shattering bottles, popping like crystal popcorn.

One of the kegs caught, apparently a good one, as fire belched forth from the sundered doorway and blew out the windows. Shikamaru dove for the deck, but Sasuke stood his ground, unflinching as a piece of flying glass left a bleeding line across his forehead. After a few more seconds of watching it burn, Sasuke turned on his heel and moved on, setting another building further down the street ablaze.

By now, a fire crew had arrived, only to stand in mute shock and disbelief over the next twenty minutes as they watched the last Uchiha methodically burn the Uchiha District in it's entirety to the ground.

--

The council was not amused.

Homura's harsh and angry brown eyes bored into the unrepentant dark eyes of Uchiha Sasuke. "How will we deal with you?"

Sasuke snorted. "You won't. There's nothing to deal with."

"Destruction of property, arson."

"I choose not to press charges against myself." Sasuke answered.

"Until you are an adult, those lands are not yours." Koharu interjected. "They are in the custody of Konoha and the Hokage."

"Article fifteen, section a, subsection two states, 'Upon the age of sixteen years, or attainment of the rank of chunin, any shinobi in the village is legally an adult, with all rights, priveleges, duties, and responsibilities granted that this title provides. As an adult, upon my promotion to chunin those lands and properties all belong to me." Sasuke countered. He let this sink in for a while, as a few members hemmed and hawed, until all were forced to admit that he had them there.

After some small deliberation, Koharu nodded. "As distasteful as it is for me to admit it, you are correct in this regard, in that they are your lands and properties to do with as you please." The woman's expression seemed to indicate that she had bitten into something unpleasant, like a half rotten lemon. "If there is nothing else-"

"Actually, there was something." Sasuke said, cocking his head to the side. "As an adult, direct heir to the prior clan head, and incidentally the last member of the clan in Konoha, I therefore inherit the title of clan head. And with the powers invested in me as clan head, I announce the adoption of Uzumaki Naruto- in absentia- into the Uchiha clan."

The fourteen members of the council were thrown into disarray by this statement, all save for one who sat back in his chair, crossing his massive arms and regarding Sasuke thoughtfully with ice blue eyes amidst the mild uproar about them. As the noise began to die down, Temetatsu's voice cut through the din. "I'm assuming a great deal in this, but you HAVE researched the rules regarding this matter, have you not?"

Sasuke's defiant glare in return sparked a mote of affection in Temetatsu that he'd never had for an Uchiha before. _Maybe,_ he thought to himself, _just maybe, we didn't lose the only Uchiha worth having when Itachi left the village._

"A clan may, without seeking approval, legally induct through adoption any individual who manifests the signature traits or kekkei genkai of the adopting clan." Sasuke answered. "Though by order of the council the records of the mission to Nami no Kuni have been sealed, this council is fully aware of the events that took place during the mission, including the fact that Naruto was discovered to be a Sharingan user. Furthermore, his kekkei genkai has evolved into something entirely new, a new dojutsu, with traits and significant powers all its own- something that hasn't been seen in the elemental nations in decades." Sasuke switched to the attack. "And there's another reason for you to stand aside and let me do this: For years, Konoha has prized the Uchiha clan. We've in the past been among Konoha's finest soldiers, assassins, an unstoppable force and an immovable object. We've been your police. And now, I am the only one left in the village. I've been adored, supported, encouraged, protected, and mentored, though I myself have done little to be rewarded in such a fashion. It's been given to me based entirely on my family."

Sasuke cast an accusing glare around the room. "The village owes far more to Naruto than it does to me. Every breath he's taken, every beat of his heart, has been to protect Konoha. From the moment he was born he protected the village from the Kyuubii. His first day as a shinobi he killed a traitor to the village. His first mission outside the village he... defeated an A-ranked Nuke-nin and brought back to the village one of our most promising new genin, who is also the bearer of a kekkei genkai that has been driven almost to extinction in Kirigakure."

The room was silent as Sasuke spoke. He'd only had the vaguest idea what he would say when he was escorted into the room by ANBU, but the words were coming and he'd be damned if he'd allow himself to get in their way when those words seemed to have the council spellbound. "Every mission he's been on he's excelled. During the chunin exams he not only saved most of team Eight, but also team Akachi, by going toe to toe with Orochimaru- the Hebi sannin himself- and nearly fought him to a standstill. In the preliminaries to the third exam he fought the influence of an unsealed cursemark, a mark I myself share because of Orochimaru, and he defeated his opponent without succumbing to bloodlust. He saved the life of the Yamanaka Heiress. And I don't need to remind anyone here of the chunin exam finals, where he defended the village against a fully trained demon host, who at one point during the fight unleashed his demon completely."

Sasuke took a breath to calm himself, and then another. Temetatsu in turn took advantage of the pause and replied, "Uchiha or not, he's still a missing nin. And the sheer scope of the power at his command, which you have been so kind as to emphasize for us, automatically designates him as at least an A-rank, if not higher. He's forsaken his ties and his loyalty to the village, and that makes him a clear and deadly threat to Konoha. What exactly do you hope to accomplish with this?"

Sasuke hesitated, then asked, "In order to answer, may I bring in a witness? What he has to say pertains directly to the matter at hand."

The council murmured to one another for a minute or so before agreement.

Sasuke nodded, then formed several handseals. "Kuchiyose no jutsu!"

In the shocked silence that followed as the smoke cleared, Koharu murmured, "Interesting."

"Ah. Sasuke-kun." Spoked the Aged Monkey King, Enma. "What can I do for you?"

Sasuke looked uncertain, even embarassed. "I apologize for the request Enma-sama, but the life and reputation of a comrade of mine is at stake, and I must ask that you tell the council what you told me, about my team mate... Naruto."

Enma's eyes were searching, guarded. He gave a quick look around the room, before saying sternly, "You understand what you are asking of me?" Before Sasuke could reply, he continued, "You ask me to betray a trust given to me by the Sandaime Hokage, regarding matters of village secrets, SS-ranked restricted information... for the well being of one person? You wouldn't even know this information had Hiruzen not permitted me to pass it on to my summoners, likely he'd expected it to remain in the family when his grandson came of age. No matter who it is, no one person is worth the risk it would entail to the village."

Sasuke snapped, "If you don't, it CAN put the whole village at risk!"

Enma raised an eyebrow in an all too human expression. "Alright then, Sasuke kun. You have my attention. Speak your position."

Sasuke cleared his throat and swallowed, his mouth suddenly very dry. "Naruto has left the village. He feels that the village has betrayed him, that they will never accept or value him here, in spite of the fact that his every act as a shinobi has been in service to the village."

"Hiruzen often regretted the fashion by which Naruto was regarded by the villagers." Enma agreed. "Go on."

"The village has often sung its praises for the Uchiha clan, despite our history, our... curse." Sasuke sighed. "It did me more harm than good. I spent far too much time as a child dreaming of avenging our clan, too much time in anger and hate. I don't understand why Itachi did what he did to me, unless he also knew of our curse and how it makes us strongest when filled with rage and murdurous intent, and I don't know why he wanted it directed at him. But I know that the truth about Naruto and Itachi both can't ever be revealed to the village. But the council is already privy to a great many secrets and this is one more that they should not only know, but may also save the life of my comrade and bring him back to us."

"But why does it matter?" Pressed Enma insistently. "What is one shinobi, more or less?"

"Our forces are battered, Enma-sama, and we can't afford to lose the number of shinobi it would take to kill him. What's worse, many of our academy instructors and students were killed in the attack on the village, weakening us not just today, but in the future as well. We will have fewer new shinobi for the next three years, and we can't afford to waste anyone. Naruto does not wish harm on the village, but his departure from the village has shown he is done putting the village before himself."

"And how can you be so sure that he wishes the village no harm, Uchiha san?" Interupted Nara Shizuki. "As you say, Naruto no longer puts the village first. Despite my own wishes, the civilian populace and even many of the shinobi have not treated him well. Without the well being of the village as a concern, one would think his next impetus would be towards revenge."

"That's just it!" Sasuke said. "He doesn't care anymore. He just wants to get away, to go someplace where he's wanted."

"You raise a valid point," commented Shinzashi. "Any of the other villages would want him, especially after his display during the chunin exams. Despite our differences Danzou was quite correct, in that a weapon of his magnitude must not be permitted to fall into the hands of another village."

"No! You're missing the point!" Sasuke protested, feeling the whole situation spinning out of his control. "You've read our mission reports- you don't know, though, anything about what he's really like. Once he decides to destroy something, it's only a matter of time. Nothing will stop him- not shinobi, not terrain, not fatigue, not even the laws of nature. Our best- our only- defense against him is to not put ourselves in his sights."

The council looked thoughtful, each member gauging Sasuke silently and weighing his words. Jiraiya was leaning back against the wall, casually. _When did he get here?_ Sasuke wondered.

After about ten seconds of this silence, Enma's patience wore thin. "Uchiha, have you quite finished with me? Nothing you have said here is convincing enough for me to break a confidence given to me by the Sandaime Hokage."

Sasuke's panic was mounting- all of the momentum he'd gained from before was now gone. "Enma-sama, I beg you- If Konoha tries to kill Naruto, even if the mission fails we will have lost him forever." Sasuke was grasping at the air unconsciously with his fingers, trying to shape his thoughts into words. "I know him. He's been the brother that Itachi wasn't- or couldn't be. And whatever else may have happened, he was loyal to team Akachi. If I can... use that, somehow, get him to listen to me without him walking off, I think I can get him to come back."

"Enough," said Enma, rubbing his chin with one hand thoughtfully. His annoyance was readily apparent on his simian face. "If you have nothing new to add, spare me the repetition of the obvious and the already spoken."

The council watched Enma as he debated for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, but saying nothing.

Finally, Enma smiled. "Well, I think I've let my little joke go on long enough." He turned and faced the council. "Sarutobi Hiruzan was long a friend of mine, by human standards. He earned my respect and loyalty because of his unswerving devotion to his ideals, his constant life long pursuit to the spirit of the intent rather than the letter of the law. His wishes for this matter would have been to inform you all of what Sasuke-kun asks, despite his very clumsy arguments in favor of it."

Ignoring Sasuke's surprised squawk of outrage, Enma continued. His next several sentences changed the course of shinobi history.

Despite the uproar of the council, both Enma and Sasuke noted that of all those present it the room, Jiraiya and Temetatsu were both completely unsurprised.

Sasuke chose not to dwell on it as he was dismissed from chambers. _Now, all that remains, is Haku._

--

Timing is everything.

Thirty minutes later, by executive order of the Hokage and supported by the council, Naruto's status was appended to "Indefinite Hiatus" and his safety from Konoha was assured. Less than five minutes after this is the explosion on the West end of Konoha.

Uchiha Itachi is, even now, still loyal to the village. His complicity to the village not-with-standing, the protocols by which he communicated with the Sandaime Hokage were not privy to anyone else in the village, even Jiraiya. In the eyes of all others, he is still listed a traitor to the village, and as such ANBU has a kill on sight order on him. While he is incredibly talented, even Itachi would not attempt to breach the Hokage tower, and for all his attempts, Jiraiya has never been able to reliably pin down Itachi's location in the Elemental nations.

This is important.

Because of this, Itachi only knows of Naruto what the villagers "know" from his most recent reputation. And even though the death of the Sandaime Hokage all but assures his own, Itachi's loyalty is to his own death and beyond. Had the Sandaime Hokage been still in the village when it was revealed Orochimaru was interfering in the Chunin exam, he would have set up a brief for his successor to make them privy to all they would need to know of "Hokage's eyes only" status...

But Sarutobi Hiruzen never really got that chance.

--

_It's cold this morning,_ Haku thought to himself absently.

It wasn't as though it particularly bothered him, of course. Being a member of the Hyouton bloodline- the last known surviving one, in fact- meant that cold wasn't really an issue for him.

Actually, very little was an issue for him now.

Naruto was gone.

First his parents, then Zabuza, now Naruto. It seemed that everyone in the world that mattered to him was destined to be taken from him or to leave him.

"Hey, Haku," Sasuke said from a few feet away on the roof of his apartment. "You alright?"

Haku started a little; he hadn't noticed Sasuke arrive. "W-what?"

Sasuke scowled. "I asked if you were alright."

"..." Haku looked away, over the rooftops, before tucking his knees up to his chin and hugging his knees to his chest.

"Is that a 'no' or what?" Sasuke asked.

"What would you know or care?" Haku growled in a surly tone. Sasuke's returned look was flat and almost unfriendly. Haku met his eyes with an expression that bordered on belligerent.

"What would you know of it, Uchiha?" Haku repeated, louder this time. "You have everyone who acknowledges you here! The only person who cared about me here is gone! He left! My parents are dead, Zabuza is dead, and now Naruto has left, and once the hunter nin catch up to him he'll be dead too!"

For a moment, Sasuke seriously considered telling Haku what Hinata had related about Zabuza's apparent survival... but no. Haku's loyalties to Konoha were shaky enough as it was. Instead, he settled for a truth of a different sort. "The hunter nin aren't going to be going after Naruto, I think. I believe I convinced the council and Hokage to not list Naruto as missing nin. I may have failed to bring him back the first time... but..." Sasuke paused, pulling out a kunai and looking Haku dead in the eye. In a single, swift motion, he drew the blade across his palm, then made a fist, letting the blood drip to the roofing tiles at his feet. The spattering noises were loud in the quiet of mid day. "I swear to you, if it can't be done by only one of us, then it will be done by all of us... that Team Akachi will be back together again. I promise you."

The beginning of Haku's smile was interupted by an explosion from several blocks away.

--

"This is... interesting," said the shorter man.

The pair stood side by side in matching black cloaks, embroidered with blood red clouds. Conical straw hats kept the sun out of their eyes and their features mostly shadowed; even the subtle fuunjutsu tags hanging from the hat brims would not fully protect their anonymity from anyone who had read a bingo book.

The taller man took the page from his comrade's hand, absently shifting the bandage wrapped bundle leaned casually over his shoulder. "So this is how the village views their little pet monster, eh?" He chuckled. "Must not be much of a monster if he's the only one on his team who didn't get promoted. Did you get any other information?"

Itachi grunted. "Hn. I ran across a drunk in a bar a few minutes ago- he is the one who gave me this."

"Doesn't look any different than the others I've seen posted here and there." Kisame replied. "Except the ones on the poles in the street all have the 'promotion denied' words circled. This the best you could manage?"

Itachi remained mellow at the subtle dig against his competence. "The drunk was a good source of information."

Itachi showed nothing of his satisfaction as he said no more, watching Kisame begin to simmer. The shark skinned man finally ground out, "Is that all you're going to say?"

The corner of Itachi's mouth quirked slightly upward- by Uchiha standards, it was as good as a laugh. His humor faded a little as he began filling in his partner on what he'd learned. "Apparently the jinchuuriki has been terrorizing the kunoichi populace with whom he has been teamed, most notably the heiress of the Hyuuga clan. Despite his violent tendencies, he was apparently not good enough to gain the rank of chunin in the last exam. I believe the precise words the man used were... 'violent little beast,' if I recall correctly."

Kisame was no stranger to Itachi's moods- despite his ingrained reserve and reticent demeanor, Kisame had never mistaken Itachi for emotionless. He could claim, in fact, to be one of the most eminent experts on the topic of Uchiha emotional responses. And for all that they were considered aloof and arrogant, their outward calm belied an interior that seethed with powerful emotions whose strength could only be contained by absolute external control, which was frequently not so absolute as they would like to believe. Of course, Kisame himself didn't tend to think in these terms. By his own thought processes, his interpretation of it was more along the lines of, "they pretend to be cool on the outside to hide from everyone, including themselves, how much they're really dicks on the inside."

Right now, Itachi was feeling the first stirrings of anger that Naruto had been permitted to behave in such a dangerous fashion, and Kisame knew it. "Still harboring feelings for your old stomping grounds, eh? You realize that we're going to be doing some stomping of our own around here before too much longer."

Itachi snorted, and the minor win from nettling Kisame before was offset by Kisame's own little victory here. "I feel nothing for this place. I'm merely irritated that our search is impeded yet again."

Kisame wasn't fooled in the slightest. None-the-less, he let the issue slide as his eyes dropped to the paper again. "Ah, it appears that Konoha has gotten their hands on Suna's demon as well. From what I hear, he's a bloodthirsty little terror too, except he did pass the exams. Maybe we should reconsider our target, eh?"

Itachi's grunt in response was expressive- managing to cram a complete indifference to all political matters between the villages except in-as-much as it affected his current mission, without taking away from its customary "why are you talking to me as though you think we're friends" vibe.

"Look at it this way- at least we don't have to go trudging through all that sand to get the Ichibii." Kisame added. "As to the Kyubii, though, I've learned something myself. It seems that he recently left the village. I heard several villagers discussing how they'd finally be able to burn the fox on a pyre and be rid of it for good once the hunter nin caught up to it. Seems our little target has gone nuke-nin."

THAT drew Itachi's attention. There was a moment of silence as the Uchiha digested this information, before suddenly he said, "This is a crisis. We have to warn the Leader of this development immediately, and get every member of the organization out there to find the Kyuubii jinchuuriki before the hunter nin do. We can't afford the Kyuubii destroyed before we can extract it." He turned to face Kisame. "Return to base with what we've learned while I pick up his trail. There is no time to waste."

The slight hiss of air parting for rapidly moving steel gave the pair enough warning to dodge to either side as a number of senbon impacted the ground where the two had been standing. Facing the direction the weapons had come from, their eyes met a trio of Konoha nin.

"There's no point in hiding your face." Said the red eyed woman, her stare piercing and direct. "We know who you are... Itachi." She said nothing for a moment, then... "It's been a long time."

"Kurenai san. I see you have gotten taller." Itachi replied in a neutral voice. "Kakashi sempai. Asuma san. I trust you are both well."

Kisame grinned and removed his hat. "That makes me the odd one out, eh? I'm Hoshigake Kisame. Now we all know each other." Kisame flicked a knowing grin in Itachi's direction, one which Itachi chose to react to in the same fashion as all such looks Kisame gave him. He ignored them.

Undaunted, Kisame continued, "I'd love to chat more, but we're a bit pressed for time, so now that we have all the niceties out of the way, can we get on with this? Either the two of us get back to work, or else the five of us get to play. I'm good with either one, really."

--

Haku and Sasuke arrived at the locale of the explosion in a matter of a few minutes. By then, Asuma and Kurenai were both bleeding on the ground, Asuma already unconscious and Kurenai barely coherent as she struggled to staunch the blood flow from her stomach. Over Kurenai a taller, dusky skinned man with strange eyes stood, a zanbato like weapon partially wrapped in bandages held casually in one hand. The portion which was revealed displayed rows of serrated teeth across its surface, like the skin of a shark. Time seemed to stand still for Sasuke. Sasuke's heart leapt into his throat as he saw Kakashi being lifted up onto the shoulders of...

"Itachi..." He murmured.

"Who?" Asked Haku, uncertain.

"My- my older brother." He stammered. "The one who killed my family."

Sasuke said nothing more as he took off, landing on the water, staring just to the left of Itachi's face. "ITACHI!"

The two nuke-nin turned, Kisame absently gripping Kurenai by the throat as she barely clung to consciousness. "This is that little brother that you left alive?" He said with a snicker. "Bit of a runt, eh?"

Itachi said nothing, simply staring at Sasuke impassively.

Sasuke didn't even remember pulling the kunai, but realized the weapon was in his hands. Distantly he noticed the throbbing of the mark on his shoulder but bit down and ignored it. Part of him welcomed that pain, longed to scream and leap, to kill, to bury the blade into the life blood of Itachi. Had his chest been a cannon, he would have loaded his heart in it, armed it with his own blood, and shot his very life at Itachi in hopes of so much as a wounding blow. And yet...

And yet...

Sasuke remembered that Itachi's orders had been to kill the entire Uchiha clan.

But against orders, where Itachi had killed even his own mother, he had left Sasuke alive.

And a little spark of something that had been created when he'd worked for those few months with Naruto and Shikamaru and Kakashi on team seven, then Team Akachi with Haku after, that little spark held back the almost unstoppable urgings of his old rage and hate. The dim pain of the mark on his shoulder began to ebb, not leaving, but not very far from gone, either.

"So weak and pathetic even now." Itachi said suddenly. "You don't even dare raise your weapon at me. Your hate... isn't strong enough. Foolish... little... !"

Itachi's voice cut off suddenly as the kunai flashed- and halted just to the side of Sasuke's own neck.

Sasuke and Itachi stood there regarding one another, Itachi's eyes on Sasuke's, and Sasuke's eyes just to the left of Itachi's face. Kisame broke the silence. "Well, now. THIS is interesting."

"What is your game, little brother?" Itachi asked, a hint of curiousity in his voice.

"You wanted me for something." Sasuke said. "Part of me is dying to make sure that you never get it... but there is more here than you would ever tell me. So here's the deal. You release Kakashi sensei, right now, or in five seconds my blood colors the pond here."

Itachi was a seasoned shinobi. Sasuke knew this more than anyone in Konoha. A flicker of movement off to the left, Sasuke's eyes began to follow it, when his instincts began screaming Distraction! And his eyes flicked back to Itachi-

-and in his panic, forgot not to look him directly in the eye.

"Tsukiyomi."

--

Black. Blackness darker than shadow, darker than night, darker than fear. So deep and eternal it could swallow the soul.

And then, before him, in shades of color that could not exist, Itachi.

"Your hatred needs to be strengthened little brother." He said, and Sasuke couldn't move, couldn't breathe. "Let me show you once again why you hate me."

Gore sprayed, and the colors were real again, his mother's head rolling at his feet. Arterial spray splashed his face as her body struck the floor. His father lurched forward, vomitting blood as the sword thrust through his body lifted him up, before slicing upwards through his shoulder, upper body carved almost in two.

Sasuke felt the choices stretch before him. Here, the curse mark could not reach. The anger that had flared when he first saw Itachi was almost gone. The two paths, to follow his rage, the old anger he had nursed like a wounded child, or to choose...

Something different. Sasuke looked down that second path... And stared his brother full in the face. "Yet, even though you could kill them... you couldn't kill me."

Itachi paused, briefly, almost unnoticeably.

But Sasuke saw.

"Seventy one hours, fifty nine minutes, fifty nine seconds left."

Blood sprayed. Blood, and blood, and blood.

Sasuke knew he had made his choice, and would not let Itachi change it. And somewhere in the middle, Sasuke began speaking. Speaking thanks for letting him live where the others of the family had to die. Speaking praise for taking his duty above family. Speaking forgiveness for doing what had to be done.

Tsukiyomi is unbreakable without the will of the one who casts it because the one who casts it ensures it continues by being there every second of it. They experience it along with the victim. Barely two hours in, Itachi stopped counting. Sasuke continued to speak.

Itachi is, in many ways, like a pearl. Layer upon layer encircles him, encloses him, hides his original form under the appearance, the very reality, of who he is. Hard as rock, beautiful, seemingly flawless.

Itachi has only one weakness, the love he holds for his younger brother- indeed, it is the only weakness he has ever had. That love for his brother, the hopes for his survival against the forces that were arrayed against both him and the village they both came from, led Itachi to believe that his harshness, his cruelty, might somehow give Sasuke the strength he needed to survive what was ultimately to come. He was prepared, eager even, to face the hate of that younger brother, to face the fact that one day he would bleed at the end of Sasuke's blade, burn under Sasuke's jutsu, that one day he would die at Sasuke's hand.

But never was he prepared for the burning pain that his conscience would lay upon him, breaking down those layers, at the knowledge that despite all he had done, the horrors he had committed, the cruelties and misery he'd caused, that his beloved younger brother could not, ultimately, hate him.

He wasn't worthy of this, in his eyes, unconditional love that still lurked in Sasuke's heart.

Seven hours in, Itachi began to cry. But his tears, though they could blur his sight in life, in this place could not hide from him the sight of his brother, despite the repeated atrocities he committed, forgiving him, with each stroke of his sword, with each spray of blood, with each repitition of lives taken, he could not block out the sight and sound of Sasuke's forgiveness.

The pearl's layers, stripped away, to reveal the truth of who Itachi was underneath, by each word of love and forgiveness.

In the end, though it was Sasuke that was caught in the jutsu, it was Itachi who broke.

--

Outside, a moment had passed since Itachi met his brother's gaze. But instead of the collapse of the younger Uchiha as Kisame had expected, Itachi crumpled on the water, dropping Kakashi as he did, and curled into a fetal position as he sank beneath the surface of the lake.

Kisame dropped Kurenai, dove into the water, and resurfaced moments later with Itachi draped over one arm. Itachi's hitching breaths were alternating between choking coughs and shuddering sobs.

Kisame wasn't much of an expert on the Uchiha clan, despite being teamed with arguably one of their most talented heirs. But one thing was certain, in his mind.

Uchiha Sasuke wasn't very funny anymore.

As another nin clad mostly in blue landed softly on the concrete of the walkway bordering the pond, Kurenai dragging herself to her feet, battered but ready to fight back, Uchiha Sasuke looking unharmed despite having been hit with one of the most powerful and dangerous genjutsu ever devised, Kisame decided that at this point, discretion was the better part of valor. And the leader needed to know about this.

Nobody chose to pursue.

--

"You're not taking me back alive."

The woman before him shook her head. "I have no intentions of it."

Naruto's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Then why ARE you here?"

"I could tell you that I wanted to be certain that you were alright. I could say that your actions caused quite a stir, and it was my duty to ensure that you created no further trouble for Konoha." Naruto tensed at these words, but Tsunade smiled thinly. "I could say a lot of things, but that doesn't necessarily make them true. So I will do you a favor. I'll give you three questions, and I will answer you truthfully to al three, so long as I'm not constrained by village law. Call it my penalty for failing you for the first years of your life."

Naruto blinked, lowering his kunai, but not putting it away. He seemed to measure his thoughts for a few minutes, before asking, "Did you know who my parents were, and who were they if you did."

"That's two questions, really. But I'll let it slide- this time. Unfortunately, I'm letting it slide because I can't answer the second question, only to say that... yes, I know who your parents... were and are."

Naruto scowled darkly. "Don't answer me if you're gonna count it as one of my questions, but why would you even make this kind of offer to me if you can't answer anything important?"

Tsunade's head tilted to the side. "Because many things have been kept from you that you deserve to know... but it isn't really my place to tell them to you. The best I can do is point you in the right direction. Tell me... what do you know of your father?"

Naruto frowned. "I don't know anything... but I suspect."

"What do you suspect, exactly?" Tsunade prompted.

Naruto's reply held no hesitation. "My father... I've dreamed for years that he was the Fourth Hokage... but I don't know for sure. We look a lot alike, but that could be we're distantly related, or just dumb coincidence."

Tsunade pursed her lips, grunting noncommitally. "I see. I will say this much, without breaking village secrets- you and the Fourth Hokage ARE connected. Through the one for whom you are named- the... the kunoichi named Uzumaki Kushina."

Naruto heard the hesitation in her words, but said nothing. He let the information sink in, before looking up at the bits of blue sky peeking through the foliage of the dense canopy overhead. "Is it alright if I save my other two questions for another time?"

Tsunade snickered. "You think you can track me down then?"

Naruto arched an eyebrow, then shrugged. "Eventually, I suppose anything is possible."

The words seemed to hit Tsunade hard; something about what he'd said to her had shaken her up. After a moment, Tsunade rallied, and nodded. "Yes. Anything is possible, M- Naruto." She swallowed hard, then opened up her stachel. "I guess this means that only one thing remains for me to do here." She pulled out a bundle and tossed it to him, which he caught easily.

"What's this for?" Naruto asked, opened the carefully rolled cloth, to reveal a quartet of oddly shaped, three pronged kunai.

"They belonged to the Fourth Hokage. I thought you should have them, since there's no one else who has the right to claim them." Tsunade answered. "And to your earlier question- yes, if you can track me down, you can ask your other two questions." She smiled at him gently, almost motherly. "Be well, Naruto."

Tsunade waved, then vanished. For a moment, Naruto wondered if she'd been a Kage Bunshin, but the bundle still remained in his hands. Maybe she'd sent it with the Kage Bunshin? But if this was something she really thought was important, as anything that had belonged to the fourth Hokage obviously would be, then would she really risk sending it with something so potentially delicate as a clone? Hell of a bad gamble, that.

On the other hand, maybe it was a jutsu he was as yet unfamiliar with. Kami knew there were a lot of THOSE running around.

Naruto picked up one of the kunai, and felt a jolt- a feeling of some kind of recognition. Like his hands recognized the kunai, or perhaps the kunai recognized his hands. Recognized his blood.

_Maybe,_ Naruto wondered with a slight bit of excitement, _Maybe there was something to those old fantasies after all._

First things first, though. Konoha was closed to him now, but the world was open. And somewhere out there in the world, there were more clues to who he was, where he came from, and where his family was, if Tsunade's implication was truthful.

It was a long road ahead.

End Chapter Thirty

--

AN: My apologies for the long delay in the release of this chapter. My biggest inhibitor to the release of new material is, sadly enough, my growing chagrin at having written the first six chapters of this fic. Back then, I was still feeling my way around the story, not having a solid grasp on who I wanted to be portrayed in what fashion, my writing was terribly derivative, and I stuck too slavishly to the scenes that Kishimoto mapped out without adequate exploration or explanation of the tangents and alterations I was putting in. And what's worse, a lot of what is happening now and later in the story still depends intrisically on that painfully poor display I put on in the beginning.

Every time I read it through, the unravelled corners and outright holes gape wider, mocking me. It hinders my attempts at continuity and flow. I had a cool beginning but I tried too hard to parallel, and I don't feel the story really hit its stride until the bandit camp mission wherein many of the people on had already given up on wading through the garbage. Considering my own standards, if I'd run across the fic as a reader, I'd have stopped reading the fic around chapter two. Which embarasses the living shyte out of me since I'm the one who wrote it. So I'm struggling with a rewrite that I hope will fill in the blanks, be more original, and generally turn this into a fic that someone with less patience than a saint would be willing to read through. For all of you who've stuck with me this far, I'm grateful for your willingness to slog through the beginning to read the better stuff later on. In case anyone wonders, I'm not posting anything of the rewrite until I finish the first six chapters, where I can hopefully better portray the psychological stuff without outright contradictions in personality and events.

Wish me luck- I know I'm gonna need it.

On other topics, this about wraps up the pre-shippuuden stuff. Other things happen after this but they'll mostly be alluded to in flashbacks and the like. The real meat of the story as it continues will take place in the future, where Naruto's search for his past will finally bear fruit, but the results of his searching will be far different than anything he ever expected.

Hope to see you all then.

Ja mata.

-AXENOME


	35. Interlude: Twenty Drops of Blood

Blood is within all of us.

It carries nutrients and oxygen to all parts of the body.

But blood isn't best known for this. No, blood is almost universally known for one of its peripheral traits- that it is red.

Come with us today. Explore what it means to see beneath the surface, and dive into the veins of Rogue Fox.

Learn of things important and things trivial, things that are earth shattering and things that touch on the small details of who Team Akachi and their influences are.

Twenty blood red jewels. Twenty snippets of knowledge about Team Akachi and the world that surrounds them.

**Twenty Drops Of Blood. **

1). **Naruto hates ramen.**

And he loves it, too. Make no mistake, that seasoned broth, diced fresh vegetables, marinated meats, and garnishes, to his palate, they are a culinary delight. But to Naruto, Ramen is something else as well.

Ramen is, to him, a symbol of everything that others take for granted, but he is continually denied in his life.

Ramen was the reason he did not become a ravening animal. Ichiraku Ramen, specifically, where an old cook and his daughter showed to him a glimpse of what it was to be human. And that glimpse became a window into a world where his belly was full. Ramen was something he could afford to buy at three or four times its normal price, the only prices he usually received, if he was allowed to buy at all.

Naruto is infinitely grateful to Ramen. It gave him Ayame and Ichiraku-san. And they are a large portion of why Konoha still stands. But ramen also symbolizes to him that he is truly unwanted, and that this junk food, this unhealthy, fatty, un-nutritive substance that he lived almost exclusively on for the first ten or so years of his life, is the best he could ever hope for so long as he lived in Konoha. On his departure he swore he would never eat ramen again...

With the possible exception of every once in a while, if he could get away with it, under henge at the Ichiraku stand.

2). **Naruto can barely read.**

Reading is a skill often given to one by their parents or caretakers. Foundation work, such as the recognition of the nomenclature and icons used to signify meaning, is all laid out by those who raise us.

This is a thing Naruto has never had.

The difference between learning symbols when you are three, looking over the pages as a loved one points them out while we sit on their lap staring in wonder, and an aggravated, often impatient teacher sparing a few moments to enlighten an "idiot" at the age of nine or ten, is a profound difference indeed. Enormous amounts of mental flexibility are lost between three and ten years old, and by the time Iruka came along Naruto despite his innate brilliance had begun to believe that he truly was an idiot.

In spite of the fact that Iruka in the space of a few weeks took him from literally no reading ability what-so-ever to a full recognition of hirigana, and a moderate mastery of katakana. And Iruka, despite wanting to teach Naruto, was too wrapped up in the rest of his duties as a teacher to recognize that Naruto was essentially starting from zero when he spent those first few weeks trying to teach him.

Were it not for Naruto's innnate brilliance, he'd have never progressed so far under Iruka in just a few short weeks, and Naruto's rapidity in picking up the alphabet was not, as Iruka assumed, the dusting off of earlier knowledge that the boy in his laziness stopped using, but rather, the first stirrings of an ability to sort and store knowledge that dwarfed all of his classmates, with the exception of Nara Shikamaru.

And all of this with brain damage brought about by chronic malnutrition despite the regeneration granted to him by the Kyuubii.

Naruto spent the following summer looking over the incomprehensible scrolls he'd been given with his new found knowledge, and was again stymied, until he realized that he had an option: A wonderful invention called a dictionary. He tore into his scrolls with a fervor with the help of a dictionary, painstakingly going Kanji by Kanji on the scrolls, writing in the margins above them the hirigana translations. This exercise even ended up teaching Naruto about forty or so of the most common Kanji.

Full literacy requires about two thousand or so.

Even now, Naruto has to go by context and guesswork when he reads, and his difficulties with it makes him avoid it whenever possible. He has no idea that were he to apply himself a few months, devoted specifically to learning the kanji he needs, he could be fully literate, but he has no idea that the ability resides within him. He truly is convinced, even now, that he is stupid. And the Kyuubii reinforces it every so often with an unthinking, disparaging comment, which doesn't help matters.

What you don't know can hurt you quite a lot.

3). **Naruto was the first person in his graduating class to kill. **

The strange thing about this is, Naruto's first kill was many years before those of any of his classmates.

Many, many years. More years than anyone would believe possibile, because Naruto has a deep secret... but it is a secret that goes deeper even than that of his harboring the Kyuubii, which, since his first six week departure from Konoha, became no secret at all.

Naruto is not who he believes himself to be. And he has no memory of that kill at all.

4).** Naruto carries around three pairs of socks with him at all times. **

When he was younger, Naruto wore shoes rather than the common sandals he wears now, or the split toed tabi that many mature and practiced shinobi wear. But being he couldn't afford them much of the time, most of his pairs of shoes were salvaged from dumpsters and donation piles outside used goods stores.

It rains a lot in Konoha, and as a result, the holes in those shoes would result in soaked and soggy feet. But Naruto, clever child that he was, discovered that much of his discomofrt would be alleviated were he to change into clean, dry socks at the first available opportunity. And even when they weren't strictly speaking clean, dry would do. So the wet socks would be tucked into the collar of his jacket, while any dry ones would be in an inside pocket, and his feet would be warm and more or less dry again as soon as the rain stopped.

As Naruto got older he discovered that he had to change ouit foot gear less often if he wore sandals like everyone else- his toes at least had some place to go even if the sandals were a little small. So he stopped wearing shoes, and with them, socks as well. But he never stopped carrying the socks.

Were anyone to ask him about those socks, he would go on about all the uses that a piece of thick, soft, absorbant cotton could be used for, especially in the shape of a sock. Bandages, patches on clothing, a quick and ready sack for anything your pockets no longer have room to carry, even, when stretched or torn into long strips and twisted, for tying small things together or down to a stable object.

To this day, though, nobody has any idea he carries socks around with him, because he hasn't used them for anything.

5). **Until he was altered by the Ancients, Naruto had no sense of self worth. **

Hardly a surprise. Humans develop their sense of self worth based on the opinions of those around them. Humans are social creatures, and the tribe's attitude towards an individual reflects how much that individual is worth to the tribe.

All humans want to be valued. It's in their nature. They desire to have a purpose in the tribe, and a low ranking member of the tribe can be broken by the pain of knowing that they aren't worth much.

Naruto was neglected by virtually everyone. It is an incredible marvel that he had the will to go on at all, save perhaps for the fact that he had never known anything else. The meager scraps of affection he received from the Hokage and the Ichiraku family were what salvaged him, let him know that there was possibly a hope for him, so he struggled and strove with all his being to be noticed, to be seen, to prove himself as SOMETHING in people's eyes.

It underscored every action he took. When he killed for the "first" time (which, despite his lack of knowledge or memory of it, was in fact NOT his first kill) he unwittingly saved Iruka's life. His "second" kill was Iruka.

But both of these times, despite the horror of it he bore until training ground forty four, gained him a level or respect from those who knew it. It elevated him ever so slightly that he was capable of killing, despite his loathing of it. Which is why he killed, and killed easily, every time the situation called for it.

The action turned his stomach, the blood haunted his dreams until he could no longer sleep, but they gave him esteem with his comrades, team mates, superiors. He tried to deceive himself about it, pretend as he had for so long that everything was alright, but it twisted him, damaged him, demoralized him, until by the time of the chuunin exam he truly believed that his only purpose was to serve as a tool for the village until he broke. And he felt that break coming.

Those few who had acknowledged him, even a little bit, were like gold to Naruto. He would bleed for them, work himself to the bone for them, kill or die for them. It was far better to him, the knowledge that he was good for SOMETHING, than going back to the indifferent treatment that he had received before he became a ninja.

6). **Kakashi has no sense of self worth. **

Kakashi, the Copy nin. Most successful non-Uchiha bearer of the Sharingan eye, his skills with it were legend among shinobi. His mastery of it far exceeded that attained by most rightful bearers of the bloodline. Master of a thousand ninjutsu, and of all shinobi in Konoha, he had the seventh highest number of completed missions of ALL shinobi that had EVER graced the Konoha active duty roster. Given a few more years of effort, he'll ascend to fourth highest.

But Kakashi, for all the powers of ight that his Sharingan eye grants him, doesn't see any of this.

Kakashi has to look in the mirror every morning- and it's why he wears a mask. He doesn't see the myriad shinobi below him on that list. He sees the ones above him.

Of the six shinobi on that list of more completed missions than his own, three of them are missing nin. Were he to ascend to fourth place, those remaining three... would all be missing nin.

Kakashi is haunted by ghosts. Ghosts of those whom he loved and cherished. Ghosts of worthy foes given unworthy ends at his hands because they were in the wrong place and he was in the right place. Ghosts of his past that make a mockery of anything he could call a future.

Kakashi is disgusted by the reverence he receives from his opeers because he doesn't feel he is worth any of it. He doesn't realize that without the Sharingan he would have still risen high in the ranks of the shinobi world, likely as high as he is now, because the Sharingan is not what made him a ninja. But Obito had the last laugh after all. Because of the gift of his eye, Kakashi will never step out from under Obito's shadow in Kakashi's own mind.

7). **Kakashi has a dead plant on his bedstand. **

Seventeen years ago, Kakashi bought that plant from a Yamanaka florist who assured him that its blooms would be gorgeous and full, absolutely breathtaking. He bought it when he was first placed on the same team as Obito and Rin. After six months, when it failed to bloom, he took to calling it Obito- it had the pedigree, but never attained the glory that its family was famed for.

He would talk to the plant, giving it the same verbal abuse that he would have showered on his team mate were it not for how inappropriate that would seem in the middle of a mission- and talking unnecessarily during a mission could cause the mission to fail if they were discovered.

Then, the fateful mission where Obito died.

He returned, fresh Sharingan still in his scarred orbit, to discover that he'd forgotten to have someone water the plant while he was away. It lay there, all but dead in its vase, with a single, breathtakingly beautiful flower in bloom, the last sign of life that the plant would ever show.

Kakashi pressed and preserved the flower, but left the dried twigs of the plant in its vase on his bedstand, where it has remained for more than fifteen years.

He still talks to it sometimes. But now, the abuse he repeats is instead aimed at himself.

8). **Kakashi misses Maito Gai. **

Sure, there were an endless stream of things that aggravated Kakashi about the Green Beast. Not the least of which was that title. Or his endless declarations of youth. His obsession with perfectly white teeth. His insistance on wearing green spandex.

And yet...

Maito Gai was an elite jounin, and one of the few shinobi whom Kakashi would truly fear to face on the battlefield. His genjutsu were nearly the equal of the amazing Kurenai, his ninjutsu- nearly two hundred of them, and many among the most devastating ever created- were the stuff of legend, and his taijutsu was unequaled in the shinobi world. Gai may have counted himself as 50-49 in the "rivalry" the two of them had together, but Kakashi counted only the actual spars of ninja combat, wherein the score was actually 22-7 in favor of Gai. Kakashi was pretty severely outmatched by the green beast and he well knew it.

Yet he also knew that Gai looked up to him- why, Kakashi would never know. And Gai treasured that rivalry so greatly, the struggles to over take his rival were a joy the the Green Beast that was unmatched by anything Kakashi could compare to. He'd noted that as Gai had drawn ahead by a greater margin in their spars that he started to lose that spark, that joy in what victories he attained. Then Kakashi won a foot race by accident- Gai tripped over a gopher hole- and noted that the contests did not have to be pure contests of combat to keep Gai happy.

So thereafter Kakashi ensured that ridiculous, meaningless contests were thrown in often enough to keep the count more or less even, so that Gai could strive, and struggle, and "keep pace" with his desire to "prove" to Kakashi that hard work could trump a genius, a fact that Kakashi had felt was proven years before.

Kakashi knew it well, and also knew that to acknowledge it openly to Gai would put an end to their contests. And he couldn't bear to see the one thing that kept Gai happy and at the top of his game be taken away from him, because deep down, Kakashi admired Gai. And deep down, he even wanted to be a little more like him.

Minus the green spandex, of course.

9).** Kakashi is a virgin. **

It's not that he had no opportunity. It's simply that, he at first had no time. Genin by six, jounin by twelve, he spent the first portion of his shinobi career trying to get out of his father's shadow, the next trying to live past his father's shame, and now, ever since, trying to live down his own fame in the face of his own loss.

Everyone he has ever loved is dead.

This is not an expression or a mere turn of phrase. He has had ten people in his life that he would classify as loving, whether Agape or Eros, and now, as of the death of Maito Gai, all ten of them, every one of them, is dead.

And it has hit him hard, because of those ten people, seven of them have been killed by Konoha missing nin.

Kakashi is an intensely emotional person, a fact that isn't apparent to those who aren't more than casually familiar with him. And he isn't one for casual sex.

He'll read about it eagerly, of course, and enjoy it immensely, but those little orange covered books serve as much a barrier to hide behind as for reading material. A way for him to hide behind a wall and pretend that the world is bright and happy, where sex is fun, frequent, and without consequence, and where one can revisit and relive the good times without worrying about the knowledge that all carry deep within, that all things must come to an end.

Like the people to whom he gives his heart.

He has plenty of opportunity. Even when he was twelve, there were a lot of young girls- and a lot of women now- who would have cheerfully given an arm to see what was under his mask, or under anything else he was wearing for that matter. But he keeps himself at arms length because he knows and fears that anyone he gets close to will eventually die.

He has many enemies who would do anything, to anyone, that they could to harm him. With all of the people he has lost, his soul is cracked and chipped, and one more blow will likely shatter him completely.

As far as Kakashi is concerned, there is nothing about sex that could possibly justify the risk it would entail, and unless someone can break through the barriers in his own mind, he will likely be a virgin til the day he dies.

10). **Shikamaru is not a virgin. **

The Nara clan is legendary for its intellect. Almost as much so as for its laziness, at least among the menfolk.

What isn't legendary- or even known, outside the clan, is that they are the result of careful breeding for intelligence.

The men of the clan aren't even aware of it, for a specific reason: The women of the clan don't tell them.

It is well known among the clan's geneticists that the first born child is usually the smartest, and they have capitalized on this fact by ensuring the best and brightest available children have a child together as an "illegitimate" child, one who is unsuited to being married outside the clan for favors or clan politics. Uncertain parentage is one of the things that is a deal killer for intermarriage between the clans, and so only children of stable marriages are acceptable, a fact that has been capitalized heavily on. When accepting women of other clans to marry into the Nara's, the women folk ensure that the smartest girl of the lot is the one they choose, and this over all strategy has paid off in spades.

In Shikamaru's case, the women of the clan knew they had something special. Brilliant even by Nara standards, a full convening of the breeding council was held, searching out the smartest young woman in the family that could be safely bred to him, and learned it was his seventeen year old third-cousin Yohko. They spent several months assessing what traits Shikamaru found most attractive, and he was the object of heavy surveillence for a while before they finally pinned down that he had a weakness for strong willed blondes.

The following week, he managed to catch the eye of just such a young woman, one who was the daughter of a merchant in town for just a few days. She lured him back to her hotel room, seduced him, and enjoyed a second stay with the Nara boy a day later.

When Shikamaru went to find out more about the beautiful Katsunishi Kimoko the hotel mysteriously had no records of her, a fact that distressed him greatly. But over the last eight months he has slowly come to terms that he will likely never see her again.

Meanwhile, in a few weeks Shikamaru's first born child is due, and he hasn't got a clue.

11). **Shikamaru is deaf in one ear. **

Shikamaru discovered the art of Fuuinjutsu during his second year in the academy. He was floored by the possibilities inherent in the art.

Seals could do amazing things, stuff that wasn't possible to do with ninjutsu, and for so much less chakra it was staggering. All for the cost of a little ink and paper and some doodling. He threw himself into his studies of Fuuinjutsu with an energy he normally reserved for... well, in his case, energy he normally just reserved.

He'd been studying the art for a month and a half before he started crafting his own explosive tags.

Explosive tags are terribly risky, and the more so for a novice, however talented, to be playing around with. A single slight error, one that would have been noticeable to a professional, slipped past his attention on a specific tag. He was practicing with his explosive notes when he charged the tag, and instead of the delay that he'd been expecting, the note exploded immediately.

He was inordinately lucky. Had he more chakra control, he'd have been able to channel more chakra into the note, and it would have maimed or killed him. As it was, it destroyed his shirt, burned his arm badly, and deafened him on his left side. Before the accident he'd actually rather enjoyed music, but afterwards he lost interest in music as it never really sounded right.

And he stopped his studies of Fuuinjutsu. It was just too troublesome.

12). **Shikamaru is ambidextrous. **

It was a thing he found out rather by accident. During his training with team Akachi, he learned that he was able to seamlessly translate any motion he learned with his right hand into a mirrored action with his left hand, and vice versa. He looked into it more after training that day, and while he found he could just as easily write with his left hand as with his right, but his handwriting was different.

The weirdest part, though, was when he tried writing backwards, and discovered that, when held up to a mirror, writing backwards with his left hand was identical to writing normally with his right hand, while writing backwards with his right hand looked indistinguishable from writing normally with his left.

It was a perfect mirroring of motion, in so far as he could tell.

He brought it up to his father that night, who was singularly unsurprised, and only warned his son to never tell anyone outside the clan about any of it.

Shikamaru suspects that it is this ambidexterity that is a prime secret to smooth execution of the Nara clan shadow techniques.

He's actually pretty close to the truth. The clan techniques aren't precisely a blood line, but the Nara keirakukei is.

The Nara keirakukei are capable of spontaneously reversing their position in the body on a lateral axis.  
Without this, a Nara could only execute their techniques on an opponent whose dominant hand was the same as their own.

13). **Shikamaru was the first boy in his class to receive medical training. **

Shikamaru spent some time working in the Konoha hospital because he came to the realization that the Nara clan shadow jutsus could be used to help people with a tendency to seizures- the ability to control the body so it didn't flail around and damage itself could be highly valuable in trauma medicine, especially if that seizure was brought about by a traumatic head injury. The ability to hold a body still while surgery was going on in the field could save lives, and lots of them.

After a few weeks in the hospital, though, Shikamaru was faced with the down side of this- he tended to feel what the body he was controlling experienced. And a seizure is VERY unpleasant. He was forced to conclude that his services were doing him more harm than he was doing good, as to be worth the effort you had to be right there on the scene when the seizure started or else the initial part did most of the damage before you could start mitigating it. And it didn't do anything to control the mouth, but it DID teach him what it felt like to bite through your own tongue.

He doesn't have any healing techniques, but of all his class Shikamaru was the first one to study trauma medicine.

14). **Sasuke has a crush on an older girl. **

Her name is Inuzuka Hana. Yes, Kiba's older sister.

Sasuke ran into her when he was visiting the Konoha animal clinic with a wounded animal. A dog, specifically.

She thought he was rather cute... in a kid sort of way. Sasuke was smitten.

She was a strictly no nonsense woman, obviously a powerful shinobi by the play of steely muscle beneath silken, somewhat tanned skin. She was balanced and dextrous and tough.

Of course, part of the attraction was that she showed no interest in him what so ever. And after she figured out his crush for what it was, which took all of fifteen seconds because you can't fool an Inuzuka's nose, she told him he was sniffing up the wrong tree, so find another bitch to sniff around before he got bit.

He's held a torch for her ever since, and has sworn to himself that one day he'll get her to notice him. In a hot and sweaty kind of way.

Sasuke is an independant sort, partially by nature and partially by circumstance, and he wants a woman who isn't clingy. One who doesn't define herself by the man she's with. That pretty much ruled out every girl he ever went to school with- they'd run themselves right out of the contest by trying so damned hard.

And if he'd actually been teamed up with one of his fangirls? Ugh. He might have sworn off women all together.

But the question remains, why was Sasuke at the animal clinic in the first place?

Because...

15). **Sasuke has a pet. **

It's a small dog, one of the toy breeds. He found it wandering around with a bad limp outside the Uchiha estate and caught it, taking it in to the veterinary clinic. This, of course was how he ended up meeting Hana.

He could tell that the animal was a pet; but he had no real way of finding out who the dog belonged to. Sasuke decided to name him Menchi.

Eventually, with Hana's help, he found out who the owner was, and Kirochiro was returned to his rightful family, but Sasuke visits the dog every week. Even though he knows the dog's real name is Kirochiro, he can't help but think of him as Menchi.

16). **Sasuke has a morbid fear of flypaper. **

After he awoke from the mental trauma inflicted on him by his older brother, Sasuke was having a recurring nightmare. He was being pursued by Itachi, chased, and the harder he ran, the slower he would move, as his feet would stick to the ground. As his terror grew, he stuck fast, trying to lift a foot, and pinned to the ground, unable to see his brother but knowing that Itachi was walking closer and closer with each passing second.

The nightmares would eventually pass, after a fashion, as he found a way to subsume his fear of his older brother with his unending hatred. But shortly after the first time he had the nightmare, he was walking down the street, when a strip of flypaper blew off a nearby porch and landed on his shirt.

From a distance of inches, Sasuke saw a fly stuck to the strip of paper, struggling to escape, unable to move, a sight which, combined with the flypaper sticking to his shirt and then his hands, and the fresh memory of the nightmare, had Sasuke screaming in the street. ANBU arrived and took him to the hospital, but it took the nurses almost a half hour to calm him down again.

Sasuke hasn't willingly approached a strip of flypaper since.

17). **Haku has a recurring nightmare about a basement. **

The basement is dark, or at least, the shadows are. There is a single light bulb on the wall, and it is so bright it hurts his eyes to look at, but the only light it casts is so bright that it washes out what it shines on, while everything else is all but black shadows.

He has a sense of where the floor is, though- the floor is sloped, hidden in shadow, and it leads upwards closer and closer to the ceiling. In this dream, he is forced into that wedge, walking that slope upwards with stumbling feet because his eyes can't see the floor, the shadows are so deep, the space tighter and tighter until he is cramped into a crouch, looking on a chioroscuro room of empty storage space that nothing will stack flat on.

Haku isn't certain what it is about this nightmare that rattles him every time he dreams it. But every time he has it, he wakes up with a stifled scream, heart pounding and bathed in a cold sweat.

18). **ATMA- or biju, as humans know them- are universally mindless. **

Humans are not aware of this fact, of course. Even the biju themselves are not aware of this- in so far as one can apply awareness to something mindless, although the term mindless isn't precisely what people think it is. Mindlessness is a complete awareness of what is outside, with no internal consciousness. No self awareness. There is no emotion attributed to anything the biju experiences, only action and reaction. It can still decide, of course- that's what it is programmed to do. It even has memory, a purposeful inclusion by the Ancients to ensure that an ATMA could not be stopped casually by using the same tactic, allowing it to learn from prior experiences so as to continue its mission more efficiently, and this of course is what confuses and obfuscates the issue- how can something mindless have memory?

The most surprising thing is not that the biiju are unaware of this fact, but rather in the follow up question: If a biju is completely mindless, what is it that Jinchuuriki are actually talking to?

The answer is: Themselves.

Or rather, more specifically, they are speaking directly to their own Id.

The process of sealing an ATMA into a human host is to literally graft the thing directly into the host's chakra generation system, the lead up into the Keirakukei. The keirakukei work by mixing mental energies with physical energies, or at least, this is the closest metaphore that has yet been devised in their world, although a closer truth would be to state that the focus necessary to draw on the chakra stores of a human requires the full attention of the subconscious mind to both the state of mind and body in order to achieve correctly.

This distinction is virtually unknown to the shinobi world at large, but is the core reason for why jinchuuriki go insane so frequently. The chakra matrix of a biju has drive and will, a desire to be used in accordance to the programming it was given when it was first created. But when a biju is inserted into a human, attached to the subconscious mind, the Id of the host subverts the programming of the biju to its own uses, and suddenly has an enormous secondary power source at its disposal. The Id of the host subverts and meshes with the control codes of the ATMA's programming, and the abrupt influx of memory and knowledge fools the Id into believing it is the biju itself.

The distinction becomes virtually meaningless when the biju is sealed into a baby as the Id never knows anything other than the experience of being bound to the biju. For all intents and purposes, it IS the biju.

Given how jinchuuriki are universally treated, their Ids' reaction is understandable, and perpetuates the illusion that the hosts are in fact influenced, even controlled by the biju within them, when in truth it is their own darkest urges given play that wreaks such havoc.

This truth may never be known because during some point in their lives the conscious mind and the ATMA fuelled Id will come into direct contact with one another, and it is almost always an event of mutual repugnance. The Id is disgusted at the fact that the consscious mind is "Weak" and incomprehensibly unwilling to make use of the massive power at their mutual disposal to avenge the wrongs they have received, while the conscious mind is horrified by the utterly monstrous nature of the demon within. Their greatest distaste for one another stems not from their differences, but from the knowledge that in the other, each can see itself, and knows just how much alike they really are.

How can you avoid a mirror that stares back at you every time you close your eyes?

How can you hide from yourself?

Ironically enough, the closest individual to discovering this truth is in fact the Jinchuuriki known as Killer Bee, from Kumogakure. In making peace with his Id, in truly forgiving those who mistreated him for so long, he has in fact calmed the seething rage and hatred in himself and so that which once drove his biju. But he is no psychologist. He isn't even much of a singer. And singing is the most introspective thing he has at his disposal. Even he believes that he has tamed the beast- when in truth, what he really tamed is himself.

19). **The Shinigami is an Ancient. **

Long ago before anyone thought to count the time spent between one summer and the next, much less the number of summers that had passed, one of the Ancients had a marvelous idea- these creatures that they had created had a gift the ancients did not- ease of mobility. True, an ancient could reshape itself slowly, effecting a sort of crawl across the landscape that on the scale of several thousand years could effectively move it, oh, maybe a couple of miles, but their mobility was severely hampered. The idea: Remove its mind from the physical form that it was bound to. That mind could drift about freely with no loss of intellect inherent to being bound within the body of a lesser creature.

It failed to take into account the fact that, without a body, the Ancient had no means by which to generate the energy it needed, the chakra, to keep its mind whole and intact.

For a short while it fed off the life essences of animals as a desperation measure, but in short order the remaining Ancients found a way to trap it. In a fit of desperation it proposed a deal: It would serve as a neutral agent, unable to harm the other ancients, and serve as a sort of lliason between them, in exchange for the right to take the life force for its own of any creatures that agreed to it, so long as the freeform Ancient held to the terms of the contract.

The other Ancients agreed to this, and the Shinigami, as later it would be known, came to be.

A loophole existed in this contract that the Shinigami fully exploited: It could absorb free floating energy freely, and it could kill, freeing up a measure of energy in the process, so long as that killing existed within the boundaries of a contract that it formed with a lesser creature. This worked fine for the Shinigami; it essentially got a two-for-one deal on the extraction of souls and life from living things.

Fast forward to the contract with the being known as yondaime-hokage-namikaze-minato.

This was... an unexpected situation. Long before it could even partially drain the life energy of the ninth ATMA, it could not contain a smidgeon more energy. Not without its own destruction. And it had no intention of destroying itself for the sake of a mortal. But without completing its contract, it could not keep the energy it had taken from the ATMA, and it had already been running low on energy as of the last several thousand years contractees were few and far between.

So it improvised, sealing up the self generating power of the Ninth ATMA inside a living container, and for good measure, to protect its own reputation, ensured that nobody would be the wiser, save for a few mortals that wandered onto the scene as it was finishing up. But none of them had the Mokuton bloodline, and so would not be a risk to communicate back to the local Ancients as to the... slippery interpretation of its deal.

But it did not consume either the Kyuubii nor the yondaime-hokage-namikaze-minato.

In fact, it more or less fulfilled its part of the deal- after all, what is a life but memory and knowledge and a body to contain them in? The nith ATMA was dealt with. And also...

If you take away the years of experience and growth, the life is gone, is it not?

Because this is the final drop of blood.

20). **The Fourth Hokage is not dead. **

Uzumaki Naruto was a child that never existed.

The secret that Uchiha Sasuke stumbled upon and subsequently used to save Naruto's life is this:

His born name is Namikaze Minato.

**End Interlude. **

**EDIT: **Thanks to TheWatcherandReader for pointing out an error on my part regarding the number of Kanji needed for literacy- it's been a LONG time since my one, abortive attempt at learning Japanese.

-AN: This is where the pre-time skip stuff ends. Naruto himself, at the beginning of the next portion still has no clue of the truth. He is looking for answers, following the bread crumb trail of deceit, and will find out the hard way that he has been lied to his whole life.

Don't have a time frame for the next actual chapter ready, so I'll just say it will be up when it is done.

Ja mata.

-AXENOME


	36. Chapter Thirty One: Loose Change

Chapter Thirty One: Loose Change

Change is the only certainty.

People rail against change, despite how inherently adaptable they are. Usually it is out of laziness, more than anything. Why change if we don't have to, yes?

But change happens anyways.

It is change that moves the world forward, change that defines our growth, change that occurs all around in ways both large and small.

The Hyuuga clan has undergone change, and many of those in power aren't happy about it, while others are ecstatic.

-rf-

"You are outvoted in this matter, Shinzashi."

The elder Hyuuga grimly stared back at the main family elders, from all six lines of the main family. Hiashi's line might have been first among equals, but the other five lines were main family lines as well, and they could not be ignored.

Shinzashi raised his chin defiantly. "I will NOT unseal him. The Privelege was never enacted, as Neji was medically crippled until after the deadline for the Privelege. Therefore, he will not become a main family progenitor."

"You know the rules!" Snapped Hotaru of the fourth line, her milky eyes cataracted but no less forceful for it. "The Privelege may only be enacted by a main family member! By demanding that Hyuuga Neji be the executor of the Privelege, regardless of its outcome, you ensured that Neji, branch member of the First line, would become a Main Family member, and the only means by which this may be enacted is the excoriation of his Caged Bird seal and his establishment as a New Main Line family! You have brought this about yourself!"

The implied insult about lack of foresight was a heavy one among the Hyuuga family, whose dojutsu implied both prediction and insight far beyond that of any other. Shinzashi bristled at it. "He has done nothing to earn it, and his surly demeanor and defiant behavior- which my son has done NOTHING to curtail out of a misplaced sense of affection to Branch Member Hizashi-" this addition was met with a murmur of growls from the other elders, "-and should he be granted free reign in his undisciplined fashion he will bring shame and ruin on the house of Hyuuga!"

"Father." The voice was sharp as a knife. All elders' eyes shot to the doorway where Hiashi stood. "I too agree with them. It must must done."

Shinzashi's voice was brittle, as brittle as his emotions. "How dare you, boy?" He demanded. "I am your FATHER! I was the head of the family for longer than you've been alive! How dare you to presume you know better than I what is best for the Hyuuga?"

Hiashi's face was stony and stern, unbending for the first time in his life against his father's will. A dim portion of Shinzashi's mind, one that he tried to ruthlessly crush, yet failed, felt a small stab of pride that his son had finally stood up to him. "Father, it is true you were once the Head of the Hyuuga clan, but you abdicated that position long ago when I ascended to the title and position. You are an elder, it is true, and the will of the council of elders supercedes mine, but my word is law to any single elder, as Head of the Hyuuga clan. And I order you to unseal Branch Member Hyuuga Neji, as is befitting the traditions."

"I WILL NOT!" Roared Shinzashi, anguished at this rebellion of his eldest son.

"If you do not, you will spell the ruin of the Hyuuga clan, starting with the loss of the Privelege of Hyuuga."

The silence that followed was deafening, although save Shinzashi, there was no surprise or confusion at this declaration. Hiashi continued. "The Privelege of Hyuuga exists as a relic from a time long past that the current powers that be would like nothing more than to erase from Konoha for all time. The only factor that enables it to stand is our strictest adherence to the letter of our laws and the contract with Konoha that ensures no abuses of the Privelege are ever permitted. Our willingness to risk a main line family member, a great minority in our clan, allows us to deal with dire threats to the family and Konoha at large without the interference of legal loopholes. And as much as it pains me to admit, the ability of the village to curtail infiltration and sedition were severely damaged by the loss of the Uchiha clan. Should we, the only other watchdogs, be disabled of what allows us to perform our duties, Konoha would be at risk and our reputation would be irreversably tarnished. We would lose our status as first among Konoha's clans. It is vital now that even though his duty as Executor was prevented by circumstance, that we none the less adhere to the letter of the law, both within our clan and within Konoha. And I will not see our clan diminished for the stubborn spite of one elder who regretted his choice of successor from the moment Neji first began practicing the Jyuuken."

Shinzashi's face crumbled, an expression matching the crumble of his resolve within him. "You- you're only doing this- because he is your nephew..." He stammered out feebly.

Hiashi's expression was unchanging. "I do what I must as head of the Hyuuga clan."

Shinzashi didn't respond further, but all present, as Hiashi stood maintaining a steady look that Shinzashi couldn't meet, understood that Shinzashi would do as he was told. The other elders filed out of the room quietly, until only Hiashi and his father remained. Hiashi looked for a bare moment as though he wanted to say something, but the moment passed, before he too left the room.

Shinzashi sat down heavily. For a long minute he stared blankly ahead at the wall, before the rested his face in his hands and began to cry.

-rf-

The Hokage, contrary to what many believed, was not exempt from performing missions when the circumstances called for it. After a piece of blackmail involving a bottle of imported vodka that had been drunk twenty four years ago, a hotel room, and the presence of both Jiraiya and Dan in what was the most cherished memory at Jiraiya's disposal, the Hokage managed to convince Tsunade to fill in under henge at his desk while he went out to Wave country. Chouji came along, as did Shikamaru, although even to Jiraiya's eyes the boys had both once been best friends, and were now almost willingly reducing themselves to strangers. It was a very awkward experience for all three of them, and Jiraiya took to training them seperately in the arts that each was to take up in his stead, Chouji in the arts of toad summoning, and the firt steps of becoming a Sage, while Shikamaru was groomed in the fine and vital art of spymaster.

If anything, Shikamaru had the makings of being a better intelligence operative that Jiraiya had ever been, and modesty aside, Jiraiya knew full well that he, himself, was possibly one of the most effective spymaster Konoha had produced in sixty years.

Chouji on the other hand...

Mild mannered, polite, not a perverted bone in his body...

Jiraiya had no clue as to how effective Chouji would be as Toad Sage, if he ever managed to attain the title at all.

The mist was lifting, slightly. Chouji's eyes squinted a little, trying to make out the massive shape looming in the fog. "What is that out there?" He wondered aloud.

"Tazuna's bridge." Shikamaru said, subdued. He too was looking at the bridge, although Jiraiya got the impression that Shikamaru was less looking at the bridge than at something in his own memories.

"The Great Naruto Bridge, actually." Jiraiya corrected, noting the incredulous look on Chouji's face as well as the slightly raised eyebrow on Shikamaru's expression.

"Why are we here?" Chouji asked.

"Matter of village security." Jiraiya answered shortly. "I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you. And I've invested too much time in you for that, so I'll just save my breath and your blood."

Chouji gulped uncomfortably, while Shikamaru's eyes narrowed. As Chouji looked back toward the bridge, Shikamaru made eye contact with Jiraiya before his fingers flickered. _Naruto?_ They spelled out.

Jiraiya gave a slight smile and a barely perceptible nod, and Shikamaru sighed before turning back to face the structure whose proximity grew ever closer. "Mendokuse." He muttered.

Chouji flicked a glance in Shikamaru's direction but whatever was on his mind never made it past his lips.

"We're almost there." Said the boatman. The mood changed on the boat as all three ninja went into professional mode.

"Thank you, Ran." Jiraiya said.

The boat bumped ashore a small bank, and the three ninja stepped off. Jiraiya headed in the direction of what appeared to be a main road out of the small town, until they were all three well out of sight of any houses. "Alright, Shikamaru. You've been here before. Can you get us to Tazuna's house without any of us being seen?"

Shikamaru nodded with a look of resignation on his face.

"Then let's go."

-rf-

Sakura sat nervously in the chair, glancing from side to side as people who had arrived after her were escorted in by ANBU to the adjoining room.

So far, none of them had come out again.

Her own ANBU escort stood to the side, face forward, in no way indicating at all the his(her?) attention was in any fashion directed towards Sakura.

She felt eyes on her anyways.

T&I was the purview of the infamous Morino Ibiki, and for whatever reason, she was sitting in his waiting room.

Slowly, Sakura began reviewing her conscience, trying to find any good reason why she would be here. It was a fairly long list, but she couldn't see anything on that list that was legally more significant than a small fine. Certainly nothing that rated a visit to Ibiki.

Sakura shot a single look at the ANBU, bit her lip, and began reviewing the list again.

-rf-

"Hyuuga Neji. You are called forth to a Meeting of the Elders tonight, at ninth hour. Do not be late."

The stiff attitude of a fellow branch member was new to Neji, much as the stiffness in his joints and body were still new to him in his rehabilitation. After Lee's speech to him during the Chuunin exam finals he had found himself wondering more and more about fate. He hadn't had to call out the other genin he'd been matched up against. He'd thought- briefly- about surrenduring. But he'd felt the rage inside him, the same rage he felt about being helpless in the face of being trapped, that hed felt all his life. He hadn't had a choice but to rail against it... right? But... he'd CHOSEN to call him out, to call something whihch he'd already guessed wasn't a bluff. He'd made the choice. _I, Hyuuga Neji, decided to allow him to do whatever he'd had planned after he'd already beaten me. It didn't have to happen._

All his life, he'd been taught by Hyuuga custom, to believe in strictest order, that all Hyuuga have their own part to play, whether they liked it or disliked it, and that part was decided for them. That there was ORDER to the universe, to the world in which they lived, that decided their lives. But this manifestation of self determination, it was unordered, chaotic. And every day, people were affected by choices they made. Was the world truly so... so random as to not have a predetermined path?

Could it really be true that there was no such thing as fate?

That night, Neji's world, already teetering precariously, was sent into a tumbling spiral to crash to the ground. And the next morning, Hyuuga Neji, Progenitor and Patron of the Seventh Main Family of Hyuuga, wore his headband around his neck, proudly displaying to the world his scarred forehead, a forehead that bore the marks of liberation from the Caged Bird seal, marks identical to those on the forehead of the man who'd first placed it, then last night removed it, his paternal grandfather, Hyuuga Shinzashi.

Hyuuga Neji looked to the sky, at the birds flying free, himself freed of the mark of servitude and now honored as a seventh House of Hyuuga. Seeing the mingled resentment and anxiety of those who had been entrusted to his care, it was an uncomfortable sensation. He'd always imagined having power over the people who'd made his life so fraught with anxiety, but what he'd felt for his fellow branch members hadn't changed with his own liberty. And suddenly he'd started to notice that of all things that protected the Hyuuga from the randomness, from the dangerous chaos of the outside world, was the strict order that they enforced on their people, and that the main family of the Hyuuga clan was in its own way every bit as chained to the ultimate welfare of the Hyuuga as any branch member.

Here he was, most worthy heir of the Hyuuga clan, and a place that seemingly defied everything he'd ever believed about fate. It had shaken his world to its very foundations.

_If there truly is such a thing as fate,_ he mused to himself as he stared up into the sky, _it is a thing far beyond the understanding of any man or woman._

-rf-

Chouji was outside, patrolling the perimeter along with about a half dozen toads Jiraiya had told him to summon. Their first duty was to ensure that Jiraiya had forewarning of any possible visitors, civilian or otherwise, as early as possible while he himself was busy with the occupants within.

Currently, he had all three of the residents hypnotized within a genjutsu, but was making very little progress with them. "Can you describe for me a little better what Uzumaki Naruto looked like, Tsunami san?"

The woman looked confused, as though she was trying to describe him, but couldn't. Bits of words started to come out but they made no sense, like speaking to some stroke victims. After a few minutes, her shoulders slumped in defeat. "I... cannot recall him very well."

"What was his hair color?"

"I don't remember."

"How tall was he?"

"I don't know."

"Did he have any scars?"

"I can't remember."

Jiraiya sank back on his heels and regarded her carefully. She'd not been able to tell any more about Naruto- or any of the others, for that matter- despite his best efforts digging into her subconscious. It was readily apparent that they could recognize Shikamaru on sight, being that they'd greeted him warmly and by name when they'd arrived, but casual conversation had revealed none of them could adequately describe any of the members of team Akachi while they weren't present.

Now for the moment of truth- "Tsunami san, can you remember anything that Kakashi might have spoken about the Kyuubii?"

Tsunami blinked a moment, then shook her head. "I don't remember him saying anything about demons."

"Huh." Grunted the Toad Sannin. he rubbed his chin a moment, then smacked his forehead. "Of course. So obvious." He stood to his full height, gave a few short instructions, then released the genjutsu.

The trio in the living room slowly awoke from their daze, Inari first, before he grinned and said, "I'll bring it out right away!"

Tsunami recovered next, watching in a vague state of disorientation as her son dashed up the stairs to his room, before she gathered herself and remarked, "I forgot the tea! Please excuse me, Jiraiya san, Nara san," as she hurried off.

Tazuna woke last, after a little difficulty digging himself out of the trance, before he took a swig of sake from his jug. "Have to say, we might be your hosts, but you bring a fine present when you visit," he commented as he eyed the jug appreciatively. "We rarely get anything this fine out here- very mellow."

Jiraiya waved his hand dismissively. "I can afford it. Besides, you're a fan, aren't you? I recognized your address from my mailing list."

Tazuna chuckled. "Actually, my daughter is the fan. She just orders the books under my name in case anyone notices one arriving in the box."

Shikamaru blinked, looked over at Jiraiya momentarily, before his eyes shot to the kitchen where Tsunami was coming out with a tray of tea and cups.

-rf-

Later that night as the trio left, Shikamaru waited before they were out of earshot before asking the big question. "Why didn't they remember any of the others?"

Jiraiya smiled. "Sharingan security measures." He replied smugly. "Of course Kakashi would remember the measures, the clan was still fairly populous during much of his career. Didn't realize he'd nmastered his transplanted eye to that degree, though."

Chouji looked over at Jiraiya with his head cocked to the side. "Security measures?"

"The Sharingan, when sufficiently mastered, can actually rewire someone's mind. It takes a delicate touch and a hefty affinity for genjutsu, the latter of which has never been particularly Kakashi's forte, and usually a taste for revelling in power over others. But when the eyes- or eye, in this case- is sufficiently mastered, one can literally program people. Weakminded ones, at any rate. Within a couple of weeks, the rewrite becomes permanently ingrained. They're no security risk."

"Huh." Mumbled Shikamaru. "Why were the Uchiha allowed to do such a thing at all?"

"At times, a civilian would see or hear something that they shouldn't, things that could compromise the security of the village. Especially if this was a Fire country civilian, the Daimyo tends to frown on us simply eliminating them the easy way. Therefore, we needed to come up with a means by which to prevent any leaks."

Shikamaru noded. "Beats just killing them, I suppose. Can't collect taxes from a dead guy."

"Or a dead kid." Added Jiraiya.

Chouji listened to the conversation with a sense of numb discomfort.

His old friend Shikamaru was gone, taken from him by team Akachi. And he was pretty certain it was because he'd been teamed up with Naruto.

Didn't matter how good a ninja he was, by his actions and by the influence he had on those around him, Naruto was a monster. Thank Kami he was gone. And pray Kami he didn't come back.

-rf-

Sakura looked over at Ibiki incredulously. She'd waited four and a half hours of developing terror as the parade of victims went by not because she was under investigation, but because Ibiki wanted to TRAIN her?

If it wasn't so horrible to experience, she would have admired him for the emotional roller coaster he'd put her through.

"It served as a gut check, among other things. The fact that you can maintain eye contact with me, after the carefully planned out ramping up of the pressure I put you under while marching in people to be 'Disappeared' clearly tells me that you're made of some pretty stern stuff. You can tough it out almost as well as you can dish it out, the way you did during the prelude to your fight in the elimination round of the Chuunin exam. I was pretty impressed with that, by the way- you managed to pack about forty minutes of effect on the original version of the jutsu you were using in the span of forty seconds, and kept up a genjutsu to deceive Hayate AND your opponent in the process. You clearly have talent in Genjutsu and in psychological tactics, which is why you were sent to me. You are NOT being given a choice in this matter, I want this to be clear."

Ibiki cocked his head to the side, as he straightened out a cup on his desk almost unnoticeable amounts, before standing and briskly walking around it to make it clear that there was and would be nothing between them, nothing to protect her as he spoke. She didn't flinch. "You WILL be my apprentice and you will learn the fine art of interrogation and torture, both first and second hand. Nobody is so effective an interrogator as someone who has been there tied naked to bed springs that are periodically and randomly electrified. The only choice you have, and it IS an important one, is whether you will take pride in your work, or else just see it as another form of training. That difference is the difference between a good interrogator and a great one. So tell me, and be honest, forget morality, forget everything you've been told. Do you think you are capable of enjoying someone's pain as you break them wide open, to see their shame and agony and every secret they have laid bare before you?"

Sakura froze, listening to his words. Her inner self hammered at her, trying very hard to make her way to the fore. For a few moments she tried to stop it, when she realized that this, in fact, was exactly the sort of thing that Ibiki wanted- and heaven help her should she not deliver the unadulterated truth.

A grin rose on her face as she continued to meet his gaze, unafraid. "Ibiki san, do you collect insects?"

-rf-

Naruto had tossed the kunai he'd been given casually. Every time he did so, he felt a... well, a pull of sorts. Like a faint tugging at the edge of his mind. Like a call he wanted to answer. He went over to the tree and pulled it out, then tossed it again.

Tug.

Toss.

Tug.

He felt it on the edges of his soul.

Naruto took out a scroll from his shirt, unsealed a much larger scroll. Unrolled it.

Past forbidden jutsus, past bloodlines and seals, Naruto reached an entry a little over three fourths of the way down. He'd scanned it several times, as well as the kunai, with his Kamigan, and he was learning nuances and minutiae about both each time he did so. And he was certain that this kunai was what had enabled the Fourth Hokage to use the Hiraishin. According to the scroll, the seal required a rewrite for any individual that attempted to use it, one that uniquely identified the user, and written in a distillation of the user's blood. The user was defined almost on a molecular level, and then after the correct inscription, had to master the ability to transfer himself from where he was to where he wasn't, by removing the distance between where he was and where he wanted to go, and putting that distance someplace he wasn't. In essence, the concept was to twist space around until the two points were touching, then move the universe a slight degree to move him across the two points in contact. Even with the Kamigan to help him keep all the variables in his conscious awareness, it was a daunting task.

According to what he'd read, there was no way that he and the Fourth Hokage should have been anywhere similar enough for him to feel a tug. The only possible explanation would be if they were genetically very close.

Like a father?

Naruto chuckled mirthlessly to himself. He'd always hoped... but maybe this was the proof he'd been looking for.

Putting away the scrolls, then the kunai, Naruto made his way across the bridge into Kumogakure.

-rf-

Kabuto was anxious.

Orochimaru had survived... somewhat. His spirit, his soul, if you will, had been horrendously damaged. Parts of his persona were so scrambled as to be unrecognizeable. The serpentine soul had gathered the dissipating chakra and attempted to heal itself en route to the lab that had housed an emergency host in stasis. It was a clone body, no native experiences, so no new jutsus or even considerable bodily fitness, but Orochimaru was training the new body in physical exercise like a madman to compensate. He'd never seen the Snake Sannin so motivated before.

And Orochimaru had ensured that the entirety of the Oto nin under him were working as madly to train themselves as he was.

If nothing else, their physical fitness would give them an edge over any opposition that they ran across due to sheer strength and speed.

Now, if only Orochimaru sama would stop thanking him for providing such a young body.

End Chapter Thirty One

End Rogue Fox part One

-AN: Five months of fighting it, wanting to reveal things in flashbacks, followed by six hours of "fuck it, I give up" and typing.

You guys earned it. Thanks for reading, and the follow up will come soon, I hope.

Ja mata.

-AXENOME


	37. Prologue: Beneath a Dead City

Two years have passed.

Uzumaki was a ghost, a phantom. Akatsuki had slowly, at first, then with increasing alarm and effort attempted to track and catch the jinchuuriki of the Kyuubii, but with ever lessening effectiveness.

And Pein, crippled as he was now, was infuriated by his inability to improve the matter.

"You told me that these eyes were the greatest doujutsu that ever existed." Pein growled angrily at the masked man before him. "That there was nothing that could compare to them, not even the Sharingan."

Madara shrugged. "And they were." He answered. "But things change."

Pein was crippled even more now than when that blasted Sarutobi had sealed away three of his souls, including that of his true body, locking his awareness away into five remaining bodies.

After his encounter with Uzumaki Naruto a mere five months ago, that number was reduced to four, as Uzumaki had murdured the discovering body faster even than it could summon the other bodies to it. A talent that was now lost to him forever, since the body had rotted away to uselessness before the reanimator could travel there on foot.

Uzumaki had dropped completely off the radar, now. No trace of him for months, now, not even a whisper.

"I look eagerly forward to collecting those eyes for myself." Madara added. "A marvelous, wondrous tool to be sure, but no tool can eveer exceed the ability of its user to weild it."

Pein felt a glimmer of frustration, now. Before, it would have been child's play to deal with Madara and his foolish Gedo Mazo plan, but now...

"And," Madara commented offhandedly, "I wonder at the eficacy of the Rinnegan combined with this... Kamigan, as he has called it."

Pein shook his head. Ancients are a deadly trouble that will need to be dealt with. All Ancients, whether tree... or human.

Pein just wasn't sure any longer whether he would have the strength to do so when the time came.

* * *

**Axenome Presents **

**Rogue Fox 2: Fox Hunt**

**Prologue: Beneath a Dead City**

* * *

"She's incredible," said Ibiki. "Barely two and a half years ago she's a raw genin and now she's one of my best interrogators."

Beside him, watching through the one way glass, Yamanaki Inoichi chuckled and nodded. "You say that like you had no hand in her training."

"You can't make a silk purse out of a pig's ear," Ibiki responded with a shrug. "Despite that gentle exterior, deep inside that girl is a collector who gathers bugs so she can watch them squirm helplessly on the pin. When she hauls out that collection to admire it, she's reliving the moments from when the pin pierced the insect's hard shell to the moment when the legs gave their final twitch."

Inoichi's face lost a little of its mirth. "Interesting figure of speech."

"It's not a figure of speech. She's actually shown me the collection."

Inoichi snorted. "Imagine she's popular with the Aburame."

"Not even a little bit." Ibiki snickered, pulling out a stick of string cheese and popping the whole thing in his mouth. The pair of them watched as the girl worked, a muffled crunch audible even here as a molar suddenly gave way to the vise like pressure of a set of ratcheting pliars. The prisoner convulsed slightly, but the paralysis tag that kept him silently likewise prevented him from moving more than an inch or so, a motion that in itself was a rather remarkable feat. Ibiki made a mental note to have the R&D department look into stronger tags.

He finished chewing and swallowed, before adding, "You were out on mission when we gave her SERE training, so you don't fully understand, but without you we had to make do with Yamanaka Komite."

Inoichi's eyes widened slightly, and he turned to face Ibiki with interest. "So she was the one-"

Ibiki's facial scars suddenly stood out in stark relief as his features tightened with a feral grin. "Yes. She was the one whose mindwalk got Komite hospitalized. That's the kind of mess running around in her head."

A particularly loud howl emanated from the room followed by a rasping cough as the subject under questioning was relinquished motor control. The restraining chair rattled heavily as the paralysis tag was removed, the victim thrashing somewhat for a few seconds. The pink haired girl frowned prettily, absently wiping at a spot of blood that had sprayed from his ragged, split lips. "Do we really have to be so stubborn?" She paused, as the man gave a strained groan before gathering himself and glaring defiantly at her. She sighed irritably. "Akagi-kun, really, I don't like having to do all this."

_No,_ Ibiki thought with deep satisfaction as Sakura reapplied the paralysis tag and went back to work, _you don't like it. The truth of the matter, is that you love it._

Another crunching noise came from the room, and Sakura smiled brightly. "You know, we have some very good dentists that could take care of that for you here in Konoha. Would you like me to recommend someone for you?"

* * *

Shikamaru looked over the data carefully with the Hokage. "I still say we should liquidate him."

Jiraiya shook his head with a smile. "Ah, but you forget. We know that he's compromised, but he doesn't know that we know. As such, the advantage at this point is ours, especially as we know who holds his leash."

"I haven't forgotten, I've already taken that into consideration," Shikamaru grumped. "And the level of information he's already garnered from Konoha before he was discovered will be difficult to emulate, more difficult than it's worth. If we were in position to capitalize on this it would be a different story, but as it stands..."

Jiraiya didn't respond directly to this; he was well aware of how things stood right now. Two years of extremely low numbers of graduates, the direct result of the partial destruction of both academy staff and students during the invasion had stretched Konoha's resources far thinner than would have been thought survivable. Somehow, Konoha was still hanging on, but by the thinnest of threads.

"Besides," continued Shikamaru, "I much prefer to deal with informants that are loyal to safe, dependable money. These religious types are too unpredictable, and this group in particular makes my skin crawl."

The Hokage snorted. "I think the term 'religion' is a mite too generous to use on the so called church of Jashin. Even so, this guy is the closest link we have to Hidan of the Akatsuki., and I intend to exploit this link for all it's worth."

"We'll be expending more resources than it's worth trying to confirm or deny what little useful information we'd get from him, much less anything else. He's a waste of Konoha's-"

There was a knock at the door. Both Hokage and spymaster chose to halt their conversation as Jiraiya looked at the wall clock. _Just like clockwork._ Jiraiya thought in annoyance. _You could set every clock in the village by that kid._ "Enter," Jiraiya said.

The door opened, and Chouji walked in. The large boy hesitated fractionally as he passed Shikamaru, who likewise paused momentarily, before both continued on their way, Shikamaru out the door and Chouji to take his place before the Hokage's desk.

* * *

Shikamaru ignored the pang he felt at Chouji's lack of greeting, standing outside the door patiently. Ever since the chunin exams so long ago, there had been a rift between them, one which only seemed to grow with the passage of time. The hopes of the parents to recreate the Ino-Shika-Cho formation in the younger generation had been fragmented by the formation of team seven, and shattered utterly now by simple circumstance. Ino had followed Sakura into T&I, Chouji had taken up the mantle of Toad Sage, and Shikamaru had earned jonin after his mandatory fifteen months of ANBU, along with fully entering the role as Konoha's spymaster.

Not for the first time, Shikamaru wished he'd been left on the team with Ino and Chouji back when Naruto had returned from his six week escape.

Not for the first time, Shikamaru wished he could turn back the hands of time and make sure that he and Chouji never drifted apart from best friends.

Not for the first time, Shikamaru wished- even a little- that Naruto hadn't ever come back in the first place.

And not for the first time, he considered, that if Naruto and other elements of Konoha's shinobi forces weren't returned to active duty soon, there wouldn't be a Konoha to return to.

"Whatever happened to living a simple life, with two kids, an average wife, then retiring to enjoy cloud watching and shougi?" He wondered out loud.

Also not for the first time.

* * *

Jiraiya made a show of looking at his wristwatch, checking it against the wall clock, with a clear frown and pointed look in Chouji's direction. "Punctual as always. We still need to break you of that habit- punctual is too predictable."

"Hai, Hokage-sama." Chouji replied, embarassed.

Jiraiya would have sighed if he'd not possessed the self control to resist it. Chouji was so incredibly passive; in many ways Jiraiya felt that Chouji really wasn't suited to the role of Gama Sennin.

In other ways, however, Chouji had proven incredibly gifted as well. Chouji had taken well to Toad Summoning- well enough that he'd managed to summon Gamabunta less than a year after he'd first signed the Toad contract. In terms of growth, Chouji had proven himself quite talented, for all that he wasn't a conventional sort of genius. And there was no question that he was physically the strongest of his geneeration, even before his clan jutsus. With them, his strength was phenomonal, eclipsing even that of Chouza, the Akimichi clan head and Chouji's own father.

Two months ago, Chouji had managed to achieve sage mode in the midst of the Baikahu no jutsu.

Ma and Pa toad adored him, of course. But then, Chouji held as great an appreciation for food as they did- and had none of the reservations about grubs and bugs that Jiraiya himself did. Jiraiya had always wondered if Ma and Pa knew how he felt about "having dinner over." Now he knew.

More than anything, however, Chouji was possessed of a natural tranquility, an inner calm and balance that permitted him to master natural chakra faster and with greater ease than any before him. Where Jiraiya was loud and boistrous, Chouji was gentle and humble. Where jiraiya was impulsive, Chouji was contemplative.

Jiraiya suddenly had an epiphany, a realization that made him feel a little ashamed of himself- that in most ways Chouji was better suited to the title of Sage than Jiraiya ever had been or would be. And at some level, Jiraiya had known almost from the start, and had been very jealous of it. There was a sudden knock at the door, and Shikamaru walked in after a moment. Chouji looked up, and watched as Shikamaru walked back to the desk. Jiraiya could see them both glance in one another's direction, clear that each wanted to say something, but then the moment passed, and their mutual separation grew a tiny fraction wider.

A crack that grows a mere inch a day becomes a chasm no man can cross unaided in two years. But Jiraiya had no talent for building bridges, only burning them. Much as he had done every day since the mantle of Hokage had been thrust onto him, Jiraiya wished desperately that he'd never come back to the village for the chunin exams.

Shikamaru cleared his throat. "By the way... Hokage-sama."

Jiraiya mutely arched an eyebrow.

"My network contacts in in Chindogu gave me an update- yesterday, someone came into town that began asking questions about Whirlpool village. Nobody remembers him any conversation with him, nor can anyone who had direct contact with him seem to recall his appearances, or anything else of significance about him." Shikamaru pulled out a pack of gum, slid a piece into his mouth, and began chewing, while offering a piece to Chouji in the process. Chouji considered it for a second, then shook his head. "I think it's him," Shikamaru concluded.

Jiraiya nodded. "Assemble the team. We need to recall him now." Jiraiya opened the top drawer of his desk and pulled out a scroll he'd held prepared for the last four months.

* * *

"Sakura? I'm home." Chouji called out from the front door.

The apartment was already begin the smell of sukiyaki, in amounts that Sakura had come to expect Chouji to eat. An unusually large amount of their mutual budget went to feeding them- at first, mostly Chouji, but over the last three months, Sakura was taking in her share as well. Sakura had gone to see a medic nin to confirm what she was already fairly certain of.

"I'm in the kitchen!" She answered back, already able to feel the growing child as she moved from sink to counter to stove to fridge, and all combinations thereof.

Chouji came up behind her, wrapping one arm around her, while his other hand gently removed hers from the vegetables she was chopping to hold them steady as she sliced. She leaned back into him, pausing in her task to turn her head and kiss him on the cheek before she turned her attention back to dinner. "You're back early." Sakura replied. "I hadn't expected you to be back so soon, or else I would have started dinner earlier."

"I imagine you were at work earlier," Chouji answered, delicately avoiding the topic of exactly what that work entailed, as was their custom.

"I could have left early." She countered lightly. As Chouji stepped back and went to the sink, washing his hands so he could start slicing the meat, Sakura added, "Oh! I have news for you!"

Chouji nodded. "I as well."

"You first, then." Sakura said, sliding sliced cucmber and squash off the chopping board and into the waiting bowl before she started in on the carrots and onions.

"Well," Chouji said, rinsing the soap and reaching for a towel, "I'm part of a retrieval team to reactivate an inactive nin. I leave tomorrow morning. The target area is the former Uzugakure region- duration expected to be two weeks, mostly travel time."

Sakura nodded. "I see."

Chouji laid the boneless rib eye onto the circular slicer, setting the thickness of the slices with barely a thought and flicking on the switch. "What's your news?"

Sakura blinked, waiting for several seconds as she heard the rhythmic swish-clak, whish-thump of the sliding meat back and forth across the circular blade. She set down her knife and folded her hands, turning to watch as he continued slicing until the entire cut of rib eye was finished, stacked onto a plate, and he was reaching for the less expensive cut of beef round. "Chouji-kun, I'm pregnant."

She smiled to herself slyly as the she watched the slicer, the round, and her betrothed all crashed to the floor.

* * *

"Neji sama."

Neji nodded. "Yes, Kodenbu?"

The lovely young woman swallowed hard. "Milord, it is my duty to present myself to you."

Neji's jaw tightened. The girl was beautiful, there was no doubt, and they had been married now for almost a year, but she had yet to carry his heir. The newly established father of the seventh House of Hyuuga had been bewildered by his elevation so long ago, and even more so when he was presented his chosen bride. He had made the uncomfortable attempt to sire his line several times, but though the young woman was both comely and his wife, the act itself always felt like he was forcing himself on her, for all that she was the one who offered herself, both the wedding night and the few nights thereafter which he had acted to consumate their marriage.

But tonight, he would not act the part of clan head, nor ancestor of his house. "Kodenbu, are you dissatisfied with me?"

"W-what?" She stammered. "Milord, I could never be-"

"Do not lie to me." Neji said tiredly. "I have no interest in a wife who would deceive me with smiles as though all were right with her."

Kodenbu blushed. "Milord, I have shamed myself," She began.

"Foolishness." Neji said coldly. "You have shamed nobody. But you do harm yourself in claiming a desire where none exists."

Kodenbu's brow furrowed anxiously. "I..." She stopped.

"You were given no choice in the matter of becoming my bride." Neji said. "And I have been a poor husband to you, I think, in merely accepting without concern of what you wished."

"My wishes are unimportant, Neji sama. It is my duty to my clan and the clan head." She answered steadily. "And I feel it to be no misfortune."

As she stood and slid her kimono down her shoulders, Neji knew that his marriage would never bear love. At the most, affection might grow, and they would become accustomed to their roles. His hands reached out and stopped the slide of cloth, pulling it back up to her neck, to rest on those porcelain fine shoulders. "A moment longer, my wife." Neji said. "It is not a matter of misfortune or duty that I speak. Rather, I mean that you take no pleasure from our joining, and I... feel this to be wrong."

She blinked confusedly, then her blush intensified. "I am lucky to be wife to a member of the Main house, and mother to a new line."

Neji shook his head. "I would wish for more than merely lucky, but happy. I know not what pleases you, and I wish to change this."

Kodenbu straightened her posture. "Nothing milord would please me more than to bear your child."

Neji growled suddenly, and swept back the band that hid her caged bird seal. "I wish you did not bear this mark."

Kodenbu seemed to shrink back into herself.

"Not because of you." He said, suddenly tired. "I have borne that mark. I would wish it on nobody."

"If Hinata sama has her way, none will bear it again." She said. Suddenly, as she realized what she'd spoken, he hand flew to her mouth, mortified.

Neji smiled at her. "That is the first honest thing you've spoken to me since we met." He said approvingly.

Kodenbu froze, confused. "Milord, I don't-"

"You have finally shown me an honest face, my wife." Neji said, reaching up and brushing a thumb down her jawline gently. "Please do not hide it from me again."

Kodenbu bit her lip, searching his face for something- sincerity, he supposed, much as he looked for it in her. After a few long moments, she began to speak.

Hours later, as Neji held Kodenbu to himself, his muscles aching sweetly, sweat still in his hair, watching the flush fade from her face as she began to drift away into sleep, Neji felt a tiny smile creep onto his face.

Perhaps love was not so unattainable after all.

_There is, after all,_ he mused, _no fate but what we make._

Tomorrow he would depart with the retrieval team, but for tonight, he would spend tonight with a woman who he would ensure was truly his wife, rather than a glorified concubine.

* * *

Every footstep was a sound.

The dull wheeze of air escaping damp, aerated soil, too low in volume for most humans to ever suspect existed, the papery rustle of individual blades of grass pressed together, each of these was a footstep.

Mid-autumn wind echoed off the bark of the surrounding trees, a wind rapidly diminishing with each step closer to the hilltop ahead. His own clothes slid across one another's surface, whispering the miles he'd travelled and hinting at the miles ahead. His robe, brown and grey in neither dirty nor especially clean condition, neither new nor especially worn or ragged. Sandals peeked out from beneath the hem of his robe, and the smoothness of his cheeks was marred by three marks that retreated from his cheekbones back towards the line of his jaw.

Today, for the first time in two years, he was wearing his Hitai-ate. For the first time in two years, he openly wore Kubikiri Houcho slung across his back, looking fiercely intimidating now that he had begun to grow into his height. Before, as a youth, he'd been too disproportionate to the blade to be taken seriously at first glance. Now, he looked like a member of the shinobigatana no nananinshu.

Minus the sharpened teeth of course.

Most of the time.

As he'd been warned by the villager who would never remember him, the forest itself was beginning to give way. As the rising slope gentled out, become more level, fewer trees grew. More and more the grass and shrubbery were becoming the dominant plant life here. As he crested the hilltop, Naruto looked across the valley at his chosen destination. The wind that had blown so spiritedly lower down was completely gone, the air still, silent, and empty.

**WE HAVE ARRIVED.**

_Yeah._ Naruto replied in the confines of his mind.

The two surveyed the scene before them with one set of eyes, no bloodlines activated, gazing at the landscape with mortal eyes for a few moments.

It ended suddenly as memory flooded his mind. _We're being followed._

**ARE YOU SO SURPRISED?**

_Not especially. We have a few hours, though. _

**LET US BE ON OUR WAY, THEN.**

Naruto nodded absently, but made no move for a few seconds. _Two days._

**YOUR BIRTHDAY.**

_Yeah._ Naruto repeated unconsciously. He scratched at his chin, then ran his fingers through his newly blonde again hair. His hands avoided contact with his Hitai-ate, having no need to touch it to remember the deep scar that ran across the Konoha leaf.

For a second nostalgia assaulted him, as he remembered Konoha's sights, its sounds, its smells. Its people, with their cheerful smiles and relaxed, easy lives.

Naruto hadn't eaten ramen in two years. Basic academy lesson on pursuit and manhunting: Know your target. Know their tastes and preferences. The hardest person for someone to impersonate is someone who is NOT themself; even if they can somehow alter their height with shoe inserts or slouching, change their posture, change their voice, one of the hardest things to change is one's preferences. People on the run were more often captured by their favorite food or music than anywhere else; fools making the mistake of seeking out traces of their old lives in their new surroundings.

Yet here he was, sentimentally wearing this defaced hitai ate, as if it held meaning for him somehow.

Staying hidden for him had been doubly hard. Not only did he need to remain hidden and a step ahead of the hunter nin squads, but he was following the trail of a man who, despite the words of the slug sennin so long ago, he was growing more and more certain was his birth father: Namikaze Minato, the Yellow Flash of Konohagakure.

Ordinarily, he kept the hitai ate sealed inside of his gear, but today, he'd permitted himself this one indulgence. Today was a special day. Today, he would be learning of what he assumed was his birth family on his mother's side.

Oh he knew the basics, of course. Famed medics and doctors, the majority of them. One well known ninja- Uzumaki Kushina, a woman who was believed to be his mother- and a few lesser known ones. For the most part, the Uzumaki clan were a people of sparse talent for the craft of the ninja.

The boundary at the crest of the hill was quite sharp. On this side, grass and weeds and bushes, a few trees. And on the other side...

Nothing. Nineteen years, and still no plants took hold in this earth, no animals willingly tread its soil. The ground was barren, dry. Not in a cracked, shrivelled sort of way, like an off season lake bed. No. Barren, in something of a dust bowl way. Dry in the way of a place that had not seen measurable rain in a century. Dry in the way of a place that had not seen measurable WEATHER in a century. No wind. No rain. No shade. Only the merciless, relentless pounding of a harsh and unforgiving sun, from rise to set, for days, weeks, months, years...

Naruto took the first step forward almost without thought, and cringed at the small puffs of dust that billowed up to ankle height. He allowed the dust from his footstep to settle, noting the hazy cast it threw across the tops of his sandals. _Careless of me,_ he thought to himself. _Even if I brushed that footprint out it would still be obvious that someone came this way. No jutsu in the world can emulate twenty years of entropy._

He internally debated the merits of preempting his trail from this point forward and decided it would probably be worth it. He spent a moment carefully shaping chakra to the soles of his feet and took another step forward, then a third. The dust remained where it lay, unshaken and uncompressed. He nodded to himself. In a few hours, the chakra from his trackless step would dissipate into the environment.

Or would it? Now that he considered it, there was no natural animal or plant life here to soak it up. He'd never heard of anything like this before, a place so utterly ruined that life itself could no longer take hold. Where water would no longer flow, especially given that this place was once famous for it, once named for it.

He gave it a few more moments thought, before he shrugged. "Fuck it," he said out loud in the empty silence.

Naruto continued down the gentle slope into the ruins of what had once been known as Uzugakure- Hidden Whirlpool.

* * *

Ahead, beneath the broken ruins of a dead city, a dead power lay dreaming.

* * *

End Prologue

* * *

**AN:** Welcome back. Rather than open up a new story for RF2, I decided to tack it onto the end of RF1. Expect a tidying up of the last chapter, which really should count as the epilogue to the first story, but was too long for my tastes to be called such.

Updates will be slow, as I'm writing full time now, having quit my day job to start writing professionally. But I will try to make time for you all, since I wouldn't have been able to do so without you.

Ja mata.

-AXENOME


	38. Foxhunt Chapter 1: Bitter Reunion

**Before you go any further!** There is a storyline development inside that will piss off a lot of people. It's part of the PLOT. It will likely not be very popular even with people who AREN'T actively angry about it. Just wait and see where this goes, please.

* * *

Fox Hunt: Chapter One

"Bitter Reunion"

* * *

"Jinchuuriki are notoriously unstable. The result, is, of course, understandable- a bloodthirsty, ravening monster bent solely on the destruction of everything in its path could not be implanted into a living creature without repercussions. A jinchuuriki thus is naturally victim of a bloodlust he or she cannot control."

-"Demons and Their Uses in War," a manual for jonin instruction from Kaze no Kuni

"I don't think the demons are the problem. I think the real problems with the Tailed Demons are the people. And I think I have a way to prove it."

-Diary of Minato Namikaze, three months before the Kyuubi attack.

* * *

Within minutes of his descent, Naruto was wandering through the shattered ruins of Whirlpool village.

It was quiet here in an unearthly way. The unnatural stillness of the air, coupled with the lack of any kind of detectable life, taken together created a quiet that screamed, a silence so loud it was deafening. The lack of sound seemed to roar in his ears, and every slight noise he made, accidental or not, seemed to make it worse when the sound faded away.

No wonder nothing came here willingly. Such an environment would drive man, beast, or even insect to true insanity.

Naruto triggered his Kamigan, empowering it hard, trying to get clues about what caused this. There appeared to be no trace of organic compounds anywhere in this region. As far as his eyes could see, there appeared to be literally nothing here from the bacterial level up that carried any trace of life.

This search was going to be tedious, he could already tell. Naruto sectioned off a portion of his mind to practicing the maneuver he'd been pondering ever since seeing Neji use that ultimate defense in the chuunin exam prefights. As a defense it turned out to not be quite as ultimate as the name suggested, but the injury it had dealt to Kabuto was impressive, even having caught only a small portion of it. If Naruto could craft a single handed version that could strike a target with the entire technique rather than just a small surface portion of it...

Pursuing this idea, Naruto had taken to forming a sphere of glass around the rapidly whirling chakra, using the glass to contain the power when it started to fly out of control. By selectively weakening one portion of the glass, he could create a directional blast of glass that wasn't at ALL pleasant to be on the receiving end of, despite its short range, but Naruto wanted to contain the energy completely. Already the attack was showing a great deal of promise by the damage even its incomplete form could inflict. He could feel that he was on the verge of a breakthrough.

The externally aware portion of his consciousness pinged at him, and Naruto allowed the chakra to slow and then stop, before bleeding off slowly into his surroundings. The glass he willed to congeal into a small bead about the size of an apricot, which he then pocketed. His Kamigan had picked up something. Moving forward with purpose, reducing the refinement of his vision while extending the range.

Yes.

There, on the edges of his vision.

It appears that something DOES live around here after all- or more specifically, UNDER here.

It was the work of only a few more minutes before Naruto had found his way into the baffle door in a ruined house. Despite the intricacies of the lock, certainly of an advanced shinobi manufacture, there was no mechanical device in the world, and especially not a lock, that could defeat Naruto's Kamigan. Somehow, there was something beneath that door, however, that COULD beat his Kamigan. Maximizing the refinement on the Kamigan enabled him to see the lingering traces of something that shared properties with that CRC that Naruto had assisted in the removal of so long ago. It lined the underside of the door, and created the impression to his eyes that nothing lay beneath it but old dirt- but the impression was of old dirt that bore worms and bacteria. In reality, beneath it was an empty tunnel that led downward in a steep slope.

Ironic that had this valley been properly filled with life, that tunnel would have escaped his notice completely. Likely it was a measure meant to be effective against Byakugan- according to every history Naruto had ever heard of, Whirlpool and Konoha had been allies before Whirlpool had been destroyed. And sure, among hidden villages, it was wisest to play your cards close to the vest even with your allies, but this struck him as somehow different.

The tunnel was specifically guarded against Byakugan, but not very well hidden in any other respect. In the sort of annihilation mission undertaken by Iwagakure at the start of the war, the village had been swept by search and destroy teams. An Iwagakure not weakened by the massive losses inflicted on them by the Fourth Hokage- the infamous Yellow Flash- this sort of bolt hole would be an easy find for chunin, much less the Stoneguard, Iwa's equivalent of the Oi-nin ANBU. Yet despite this factor, of all the bolt-holes that his Kamigan had thus far revealed, twelve feet below ground level in this tunnel was the only signs of genuine life in the entire valley.

Naruto was doing the math, but it wasn't adding up to the answers that he'd learned in the rare times he'd listened in the academy. Being a profound believer in the sanctity of working out the answers from scratch, he was figuring that something very big and very nasty had been covered up.

Iwagakure had claimed from the beginning of the war that the destruction of Whirlpool had been a set up- just the type of accusatory deflection that Iwa had practiced since Konoha was first founded. History had shown their parannoia repeatedly.

But history, Naruto pondered grimly, is not written by those who are right- it's written by those who are left. To the victors go the historical villification.

Naruto's Kamigan told him that about twelve feet down there was water vapor, bacteria, mold spores, and even a few insects, spiders, and a couple of lizards. What was left of this valley's ecosystem remained underground. Considering this oddity, as it was clear that the exit to the bolt hole was not sealed, he decided to conduct an experiment. Carefully, he caught several insects, one of the lizards, and scraped up some mold on the side of his Kunai, and brought them all out of the tunnel.

The lizard was fine after a half hour, although the insects died within a few minutes. The mold had died before he'd even left the tunnel and gotten into the house.

_Kyuubi, are you thinking what I'm thinking?_ He asked mentally.

**ONLY ONE WAY TO BE CERTAIN,** Kyuubi replied.

Reflexively molding the seals for Kage Bunshin, Naruto nodded to his clone, which sped off in the direction he'd arrived from. A few minutes later, the clone dispersed, and Naruto raised an eyebrow. _REALLY interesting. Whatever it is that did this to the valley, it's specifically aimed at plant life, although it kills anything invertebrate fairly fast too. _

**SOMETHING LIKE THIS WOULD ALMOST CERTAINLY BE A WEAPON INTENDED FOR USE AGAINST THE ANCIENTS,** Kyuubi commented.

Naruto snapped his fingers suddenly. "I bet its chakra based. Whatever it is lining the tunnels to block them from byakugan and stuff like that, it had a side effect of stopping the plant killing thing here in the valley," he said.

**OR ELSE, THE PROTECTIVE LAYERING HAS THE SIDE EFFECT THAT IT INTERFERES WITH THE BYAKUGAN,** Kyuubi countered.

"I doubt it," Naruto answered, still speaking out loud. "Look, the tunnels are too old for that. Probably dates to between the first and second shinobi wars- that's about thirty years too old to be protecting against all that outside." His fingers brushed against the wall of the tunnel, probing at the rock. His other hand formed seals, and then the fingers of the probing hand sank into the stone. "Mmmhmmm, I was close. Forty-eight years. About the time that relations between the villages were shakiest."

**BUT THAT BEGS A BIGGER QUESTION: WHY, OUT OF ALL THE BOLT HOLES WE'VE LOCATED, IS THIS ONE THE ONLY ONE THAT WASN"T DISTURBED IN THE FOLLOW UP SEARCH?**

"Doesn't add up, does it?" Naruto agreed grimly.

Lowering the chakra levels to his eyes down to a bare thread, enought to tell him generally what lay around him but no great degree of detail, Naruto withdrew his fingers from the stone and began walking carefully down the tunnel. The light from the escape door quickly faded to nothing but he needed no light to see.

The slope declined, getting steeper until the grade gave way to stairs that turned gently to the left. The air here was fresh- fresher than any underground place should be, especially one that had been sealed for two decades. As his downward progress came to an end his vision told him why- and suddenly everything made sense.

At the bottom of the stairs, the landing widened out into a massive cavern, the center of which held a lake easily a hundred yards or more across. Phosphorescent moss of some sort lined the ceiling of the cavern, their collective shine almost as bright as a three-quarters gibbous moon. Below it, in the water, the surface was layered almost its entire width by a floating clot of pale leaves. Instinct told him that it was all a single plant.

Surrounding the lake were a dozen or more skeletons. Their hands showed signs of damage, presumably from long and forced labor. Their clothes were rotted, but a number of them still carried hitai ate, bearing the spiral of Uzugakure. Identifications were on some of them. He perused a few, but the names meant nothing to him. There was really only one major means left at his disposal to gather the information he came here for.

Activating his long ignored Mokuton, Naruto reached out with his senses, and for the second time in his life made contact with an Ancient.

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The trio of clones passed a significant look amongst themselves. The group that had been assembled to pursue Naruto this time was clearly serious about it.

It would be rather flattering, under most circumstances. Nine shinobi, all of them at least passingly familiar to him. Three formations, three nin apiece, meaning that all of them were at least chunin or higher.

Either that, or else Konoha was very short on active duty nin.

_Sasuke, Kakashi, Haku, Gaara, Hinata, Neji, Temari, Shikamaru, and Chouji. The question is, are they here to tie off a loose end, or are they trying to gather any and all forces they can? Only one way to find out, I suppose._

One of the clones raised an eyebrow suddenly. His hands flickered. _"Disable traps?"_

Another nodded. The clone who signed the question motioned to the third clone, and the pair of them went off to clear a path while the one remaining hopped a few trees forward to land on the ground.

It was immediately clear that Neji and Hinata had seen him.

It was another five minutes before the nine shinobi walked into the small clearing, delicately sidestepping the undergrowth with the practiced ease of Konoha shinobi- or with caution and care, in the cases of Temari and Gaara. During that five minutes, the remaining clone had seen the hand signssignifying that both its backup pair of clones and the second team had been spotted by the Byakugan wielders, and they had taken notice that the clones were bypassing but not disabling the traps they'd set.

Withou motion towards it, the clone kept the Hiraishin kunai in its belt firmly in mind.

"Hello Kakashi... Sasuke... Shika... Haku," the clone said calmly.

"Hello Naruto," Greeted Kakashi in response. "Since you're just a clone, would you be so kind as to bring the original out?"

The clone made a show of digging in his ear, clearly unimpressed by the forces arrayed before him. "I do wonder exactly why I would do something so incredibly stupid. I'll admit, bringing the trap to the mouse is considerate and all, but aren't you being a little presumptuous in asking him to step on the trigger as repayment for the service?"

The Konoha nin exchanged uneasy glances. They hadn't exactly been expecting Naruto to simply say "Okay," and walk back with them, but Naruto wasn't anywhere nearby. They knew it, thanks to the Byakugan, and courtesy of the Kamigan, they were fairly certain the clone knew that they knew it. His range of sight, even with a clone, had already been scary even before he left the village, and he'd had years as a missing nin to further his development.

There was silence for about thirty seconds, before Temari broke it. "You know, you were impressive even as a shrimp- but you sure filled out nice, didn't you?"

The clone gave a flicker of a smile. "So nice to see you still have that fan I gave you. You might want to have it checked, though. You have the beginnings of metal fatigue in the eleventh spar, about a third of the way from the pivot. Koemi weapons are tough; I can't even imagine what you put it through for that to happen."

Temari's jaw dropped. "That's impossible! That fan is-"

The clone shrugged, cutting her off. "A sealing scroll just makes a little twist in the fabric of space, Temari-chan. I don't need to see the chakra circuitry to see what it's doing or what's inside it."

Chouji got a speculative look on his face and Kakashi furrowed his brow slightly, remembering the chunin exam preliminaries.

Sasuke shook his head. "Always gotta show off, eh Naruto? Gotta admit, though, your eyes make great ninja of themselves. Maybe we could give them their own little chunin vests when we get back. Then you could be your own three man cel."

The clone snorted. "When you deliver a line like that, maybe you should wait until you're not part of a capture mission where half of the recipients are using kekkei genkai. Kinda loses its sting, you know?"

"Kakashi sempai, we've got more clones incoming," Neji interjected. "So far, eight within my sight."

Sasuke didn't break eye contact with the clone. "Calling for reinforcements?"

The clone's expression didn't change. "I have more reinforcements available to me than the entire village of Konoha- not that this says a lot, if rumor tells true."

"How often would that be, I wonder?" Shikamaru said speculatively, a mysterious look on his face that the clone had trouble reading.

"More often than you'd believe."

The clone's eyes panned slowly across the group, although they all got the distinct impression that it was a show put on for their benefit rather than any real need on the part of the clone. True, his eyes weren't showing the jet black of Kamigan, but then there was no way of being certain that he hadn't found a way of keeping it active without the RSM that it once had. "Chouji, you look different from before. Calmer, I think."

Chouji nodded, his expression impassive. "Yes. I'm a Gama sennin now."

The clone gained a slightly interested look at this. "Huh. Toads, then that would be... Jurai?"

"Jiraiya," Chouji said, unflappable. "The godaime Hokage."

The clone directed his attention to Hinata, who blushed slightly but looked at him dead in the eyes, much to the visible annoyance of Haku. "So, Hinata sama. I presume you are married, then?"

Kakashi, Neji, and Haku all became visibly uncomfortable, but Hinata shook her head. "I am not required to be married any longer."

The clone raised an eyebrow at this. "Thought you were the heiress-"

"No longer." Hinata stripped off her hitai ate- worn across her forehead as was normal for most konoha nin- to reveal the manji inscribed therein. "I have forsaken my position as heiress. That way, I am free to marry as I choose- and... without the deactivation of this seal, my children will never bear the Byakugan."

This was enough to startle the clone. She had not forgotten her vow from the chunin exams, and neither had Naruto. But it bespoke a level of devotion that Naruto hadn't really thought Hinata had. "You did that because you wanted to marry me that badly? That's... um... wow, that's kind of creepy, actually."

The clone shook it off and looked over at Gaara. "So why're you here, then?"

Gaara's eyes were flat, although Naruto could see that behind them, there was a shade, a hint of anxiety. "I was ordered by my Hokage to bring you back to the village, as were these others here." Gaara sniffed nonchalantly, a transparent gesture even to someone without the Byakugan or Kamigan. "I am interested in being here because you are the only person who has ever beaten me in battle."

The clone nodded. "Yeah, figured it was something like that." Suddenly, the clone looked back at Chouji. "What exactly are you doing?"

Chouji's expression never changed. "I am centering myself, becoming as one with nature."

"You're gathering energy. It's not chakra, but something similar."

Chouji nodded gently. "That's a side effect, I suppose. It's very relaxing."

"Well," the clone said, stretching a little, "since the preamble seems to be over with, I suppose we should be starting our little tussle."

"Kakashi sempai, the clones are moving!" Neji snapped.

The clone didn't so much as twitch as the eight clones shunshined into the clearing, taking up flanking positions around the one with which they'd been speaking. "You see, being a missing nin and all, I'm not particularly interested in being brought back to be put on trial for desertion. Nor am I all that keen on being kept for stud duty for the power of the Kamigan."

Another clone stepped forward. "The village never liked me."

A third. "They weren't too physically abusive- ANBU saw to that."

A fourth. "The only thing that they ever approved of me for was killing."

A fifth. "So I fought and I killed. Became their little bloodthirsty monster."

A sixth. "But that wasn't enough for them."

A seventh. "I protected the village."

An eighth. "I protected my comrades."

The ninth. "And I followed every order I was given."

The first clone stepped up to fall into rank with the eight new arrivals. "Funny thing, that. Despite all I did for them, both on mission and during the invasion at home, they took joy in the fact that I was denied promotion, immediately assumed that I was the sort who would take advantage of a female team mate given any chance at all, and generally took me for granted. If I was half the monster they thought I was, the village would be in ruins. Instead, I just wanted to be left alone." The clone popped its neck slightly. "I still want that. And I'm willing to fight to get it."

Kakashi nodded. "Jiraiya thought as much. Which is why we're authorized to do this." With a gesture, he and everyone else in the clearing disarmed, tossing weapons onto the ground, save for Gaara- who made no motion at all- and Sasuke, who simply snorted. "Not a damn chance, Kakashi. He knows he could beat me back then. Probably could beat me now, too."

Kakashi's visible eye somehow conveyed both disgust and resignation at Sasuke's reply- after the incident in the hospital, Sasuke was NEVER unarmed.

The clone who'd been originally speaking to them smirked, as did all those around him. "You don't really believe that, Sasuke. You still want to fight me again."

Sasuke adopted a smirk of his own. "Well, I wouldn't mind trading a few shots with you- just to see."

"That's going to have to wait, Sasuke." The first clone's eyes faded to jet black, as did the others. "You see, we're not here to fight or prove points. Kakashi already knows what happens if you dispel one of us. The real me bolts, and you'll never catch him. Our purpose isn't to fight you at all- just to see to it that you can't stop him or catch him. In the industry, I believe this is called a stalemate- and defender wins in a stalemate."

"Kakashi, another clone!" Called out both Hinata and Neji.

The clone assembly betrayed no hint of emotion or reaction, but Kakashi got the distinct impression that this was not part of the script- whatever the script actually was. "What is he doing?"

Neji said, "He's plucking... blades of grass?"

The entire assembly of Konoha nin looked at one another in something akin to bafflement. Under the watchful eyes of two Hyuuga and nine clones, the newcomer took the grass to the crest of the ridge and watched as the grass immediately dessicated and died. The clone seemed both mystified and satisfied with the results, before dispelling.

"Kage Bunshin doesn't have a hardwired distance limitation to it," Sasuke said out loud, "but that clone just popping up there means that the real you is pretty close by, isn't he?"

The primary clone snorted. "Close is a relative term. But close enough, I suppose."

"So now what?" Kakashi asked, pulling out an orange book and flipping it open to somewhere about a third of the way in. "We seem to be at an impasse, Naruto, Naruto, Naruto, Naruto, Naruto, Naruto, Naruto, and um... Naruto. Was that nine? I didn't really keep track."

One of the clones shared looks with the others, before replying, "You forgot me."

"Ah yes. Sorry about that, Naruto."

To Haku, the entire encounter was incredibly surreal. Almost half of the group possessed dojutsu that enabled them to tell that the clones were clones- at least, he thought they did. To him, it was like a nightmare and a waking delirium to see Naruto after so long, and not even be acknowledged by him in more than passing. Finally, in a small voice, he said, "Naruto-sama. I would have followed you anywhere, but you ordered me to stay. Why did you- why would you leave Konoha like that without someone you could trust?"

The clone's words were sharp, swift and powerful, and cut Haku to the core. "I can't trust anyone."

"How-?" Haku choked slightly, incredulous at the pain in his chest at those words. Unconsciously a senbon of ice began to form in his hand as he began to shake with fury. "How can you- I would have done ANYTHING you asked me to! Despite my own wishes- and I DID! I STAYED!" Tears were forming on the edges of Haku's eyes as he ground the words out between his teeth. "I stayed for YOU!"

Shikamaru swore and brought his hands up into the tiger seal, his shadow extending out into multiple waiting tendrils.

That proved pretty much to be the catalyst.

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Naruto felt returning memories from a dispelling clone, and scowled as the signal for the Hiraishin tugged at the back of his mind. He quickly popped up a Kage Bunshin and vanished; the clone that remained behind put the issue out of his mind and continued to exercise the Mokuton. Knowing his time was short, he had to be quick and dirty about this.

It was fragmented. Damaged. Diminished.

It was an epiphany to the clone. Lessened, this Ancient was a mere collection of pieces, sundered parts, a shadow of its former self. No longer even fully sentient, yet retaining the spark of reawakening awareness and isolated pockets of memory, Naruto was in the unique position of a mortal having the intellectual upper hand over a member of the most intelligent and knowledgeable beings in existance. His mind travelled the tenuous, reconnecting threads, collecting images, thoughts, and crumbs from a mind that even shattered was all but incomprehensible in its scope.

-memory possessions-

_Possessions?_

-lake (home) bipeds razorfish spiderbirds-

_Spiderbirds?_

-venomous silk spinners sticky silk entangles swimmers see them drown rot at the bottom of the lake fertilize the soil-

Ancients... no, a single Ancient.

-memory-

One Ancient, massive, powerful, old even by the standards of their kind. The memories of watching- perceiving?- the drowning swimmers was fresh in his mind but right now Naruto felt like he was the one drowning. Concepts, thoughts, of both remembered and subconscious form, fragments of mind whirled past him faster than he could grasp them, as his own awareness sank deeper into the essence of the crippled Ancient. But even as he was overwhelmed an image as a whole began to emerge, strong in comparison to many of the others, as though repeatedly impressed into multiple levels of its mind. The Kyuubi was desperately repairing the damage his mind was sustaining even as the exposure tore at him; patches and seams stacked atop hasty fixes, energy drawn both from the Kyuubi itself and stabilized as best it could in the face of the broken thought-gestalt of the Ancient.

The image was of a place whose existance centered on catering to and protecting the whims and wellbeing of the Ancient that existed here, one entirely unlike those which lived in Konoha. Before the

-scouring-

destruction of Whirlpool the Ancient had been a single massive bed of something like freshwater seaweed, in an aboveground lake.

(vague memories of dozens of bipeds working themselves to death moving the Ancient from its evaporating lakebed down here, into the tunnels, bipeds working without sleep or food, those who died on their feet before the work was finished lay where they fell, while the rest, after their task was finished, drowned themselves in the lake to nourish to poor soil at the bottom of the water)

A clear memory of fading strength and power, its waning reserves being spent to imbue phosphorescence to the moss on the roof of the cavern, so that when it went dorment as it knew was inevitable, there would be light for it to survive on. Pale light, ordinarily insufficient for its needs, but without waning or sunset, maybe, just maybe, enough for it to heal.

_Heal? Who was the attacker?_

-blonde man unruly hair influenced already by the power of Ancients subconsciously controlled white cloak with flames-

Naruto's shock jolted him partially from the... consciousness was too strong, too generous a term. The protoconsciousness. The protoconsciousness itself was struggling to rise, at contact with this alien thought pattern.

Then the consciousness, for the briefest moment opened its metaphorical eyes, before the cost of its mental awareness drove it back into slumber. But the recognition was there.

It was a protoconsciousness. But there was, deep down, a sliver of mental awareness. It knew it was being examined. Invaded.

It was disjoined, and scattered. Incomplete. It was wounded and all but dormant.

But somehow, to his shock and horror, it RECOGNIZED HIM. Not him, as in Uzumaki Naruto, or even as a clone.

No.

Him. As in Namikaze Minato.

And in it recognizing that he was Minato, he recognized it too.

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"So, Kisame san, I hear this one's a little more dangerous than usual."

The former -ist nin snorted, wondering yet again why he was stuck with this pup as his partner.

Oh. Right. Itachi.

Itachi never recovered. Perhaps, given enough time, he would have recovered. But for an old bastard, Madara was fairly impatient. Some four months in, he'd had Itachi... liquidated. A nice, only semi messy term for the real process, which had made even him a little green around the gills, as Itachi had been literally dissected and stored away in pieces. Which made the follow up on the whole business rather disturbing: a bare month and a half after Itachi's death, his body- all of it- had turned up missing.

Madara's rage and demands to investigate had put them all two months behind the original schedule, and inadvertently revealed to the rest of Akatsuki who the actual leader WAS.

Now, Pein was a second stringer whose power was waning even in the eyes of the rest of the organization, and the only reason Madara hadn't removed the eyes from Nagato and implanted them into another, more powerful nin, was that the original eyes were... ruined. Somehow, years ago, before the Kyuubi jinchuuriki left Konoha, a fight with someone had damaged Pein to the point that the eyes couldn't be harvested. Pein himself had no memory of the procedure that would have removed the eyes, of course- Madara was at least THAT circumspect- but once Pein was made useless, the Rinnegan eyes were lost to Akatsuki, likely forever.

Which was why Akatsuki was taking a more... active stance in its recruiting.

Which, in turn, meant that Kisame was stuck with this runty little snot. Naive, easily deceived, misled at every turn- his only redeeming grace was the power at his disposal. And even as far as Kisame was concerned, this one was a piece of work to be cautious around.

Samehada actively avoided him, enough so that Kisame was certain it would defy him and flee should he ever attempt to fight the kid. A former nin of Tsuchi, his name was Fumio, no familial name, and he was something of a pariah even before his defection. His bloodline was considered to be a curse in Tsuchi no Kuni, the Tsuchi no Yakekoge, and he literally scarred the ground he walked on. Training of course could get the skill under control, but left to itself, it literally drained the life of everything it touched, even the earth itself. He'd gone missing nin after he'd chosen to research the effects of his bloodline on large selections of the population, without much care for who or what he took. At first, the Tsuchikage had attempted to cover it up, until Fumio went out into the countryside and selected a village, before unleashing his bloodline to its fullest in the middle of the night. The following morning, the village itself was gone, save for rotted flesh, shreds of decayed wood and cloth, and the blackened earth beneath it. The soil would be poisoned for generations, according to the experts, and the bounty on Fumio was one of the highest in Tsuchi no Kuni. Even the mad bomber Deidara- also a member of Akatsuki- tread carefully around the seemingly cheerful Fumio.

_Tsuchi seems to spawn some seriously fucked up people,_ Kisame mused with a grin. Fumio still conducted his experiments, of course, but much more conservatively, having been brought to heel by Pein and the Edo Tensei, but it was a closer fight than it should have been, a sign of the fading life force of the Rinnegan wielder.

_It figures that he'd live up to his name. Little scholar indeed. _Out loud, he said, "Yes, this one is different from your run of the mill jinchuuriki. He's even escaped Pein a couple times."

Fumio smiled innocently, looking slightly off to the side. "That's very interesting. I wonder why we're being sent after a jinchuuriki that Pein couldn't deal with?"

"Because you and I take the power of our enemies as our own when we fight. As a result, you and I have at our disposal the one tool that could put us on even footing with him, out of the entire organization."

"And he's supposed to be somewhere around here, right?" Pressed Fumio, looking off to the left a bit.

"Yeah, that's the-"

An explosion from up ahead drew Kisame's attention in the direction Fumio was looking. "I suppose then that he's probably the reason all that's going on over there, hmm?"

"Hmmf." Kisame's grunt betrayed his irritation at being upstaged by this upstart, wishing not for the first time that Itachi'd not run across his brother. Itachi had been a good match for him. He hadn't had a decent partner he could stand since the mission to Konoha.

It bothered him that eventually, someone was going to have to go back there for the ichibi.

The pair of them hurried forward.

* * *

The battle was complicated by both sides not really wanting to kill the other. Naruto's clones held confidence that if they kept from dealing lethal or potentially lethal blows, they could stall long enough for the real Naruto to finish doing what he was doing and get the hell out of dodge. The retrieval team, meanwhile, was hampered by the need to entrap the clones without dispelling them, in hopes of being able to get past them without alerting the original that the pursuit was this close.

The retrieval team knew full well that if they could catch the clones quickly, they could hit them with dispel prevention seals. The technique had been in existence almost as long as the Kage Bunshin, and was a jealously guarded secret outside of ANBU intended to deal with Kage Bunshin users. The seals could not only stop the clones from dispelling, but could inflict enough pain-trauma on the clones that when they finally DID dispel, the feedback could stun or even knock the original unconscious. The pain induction process was fueled by the chakra in the clone itself, so that when the clone DID dispel, less of its chakra was returned to the original. Usually, all one needed to do was succeed at it once or twice to incapacitate a user.

Considering his tendency to shrug off pain and Kage Bunshin trauma in the past, however, they were going to try and get all nine of them, and any others they encountered as an attempt to slow them from pursuit later on. The seals were all linked to a single release, so that the full effect of all of them could hit him all at once.

He'd live through it, of course- the Kyuubi would see to that- but he'd probably be a little resentful when he finally woke up.

But that was a problem for another time. First, they had to bring him in.

So far, they'd gotten two clones. The rest, noticing that there was something going wrong with the attempt to dispel them from the outside, were suddenly much more cautious, but careful to remain between the retrieval group and the valley. Nine on seven quickly became eight on seven as Haku discovered his devotion to Naruto was no shield against a strange mud jutsu that flew into his face, clogging his eyes, nose and mouth. For a few horrible seconds he couldn't breathe, barely tell what was going on around himself, before clearing the gummy crud from his breathing ways. Temari managed to fend off the clone for a few seconds before it kawarimi'd behind Haku, roughly slapping its forearm across Haku's throat, then clapping both hands over Haku's ears hard.

Disoriented, Haku desperately tried to focus enough to create his Crystal Ice Mirrors, but even as he darted for the nearest one, his throat burning and his ears ringing, a heavy blow caught him across the temple and he dropped, momentarily senseless.

The smooth, rounded motions of Juken were well suited to soft style fighting, including jointlocks and throws, perfect for incapacitating a foe long enough to apply the seal. Neji and Hinata worked in elegant tandem, Neji's smooth and graceful shuffle steps closing the distance even between the clones' short ranged shunshins, and Hinata's chakra lancing out in neat, economical stabs to support him. A clone stumbled and fell, legs suddenly numb from projected strikes to tenketsu in its hips, and Neji darted in, slappping another seal on its forehead.

Eight on six.

Neji and Hinata suddenly called out a warning. "Incoming nin from the southwest!"

"Shit!" One of the clones swore. "Akatsuki!"

"Who?" asked Temari in confusion, while Gaara seemed to understand immediately, as did Shikamaru and Kakashi.

"Son of a bitch!" Shikamaru swore, abandoning his attempts to corral the clones. "Dispel and warn Naruto!" He shouted to the clones.

Of the six remaining clones, only one dispelled, but not before pulling a strangely shaped kunai from his pack and dropping it. Before it could travel more than a few inches, a blinding flash of yellow light heralded the arrival of a new Naruto, presumably the real one. Unlike the others, this one wore his slashed hitai-ate openly on his forehead, and had Kubikiri Houcho slung across his back.

Haku, coughing from the ground, whispered in a hoarse voice, "Naruto sama..."

Naruto frowned, looking at his clones sourly. "Well, isn't this some shit."

Kakashi glanced at Neji and Hinata. "Time til arrival?"

"Maybe thirty seconds at their current pace." Answered Neji.

"One confirmed Hoshigake Kisame." Hinata added.

"They've stopped, seventy yards." Neji said, scowling. "What the hell?"

There was a sudden rumbling they all felt not just in the air, but running through the ground. Naruto swore while Neji and Hinata went pale. Then, above the scattered tree tops, they could see a massive wave rising, the roar of rushing water like thunder and storm alike.

"Brace for impact!" Kakashi said, as Chouji swelled up into Baikahu no jutsu and crossed his arms in front of himself, trying to shield the others from the onrushing tidal wave.

The impact was like nothing he'd ever felt. His feet were driven deep into the ground, the rushing wall of water slamming into him like the hammer of the gods, and as the earth beneath his feet churned into mud he could feel himself being forced backwards. Even the sage chakra he'd gathered thus far wasn't enough to let him hold his ground entirely, for it wasn't his strength but the very ground beneath him that gave way. After fifteen seconds that seemed like an eternity, the rush of water subsided. "Is everyone alright?" He asked.

While he couldn't stop all of the attack, his size had taken the brunt of the wave, and the others were sodden, winded, but essentially unhurt. Water rushed around their collective waists- or ankles, in Chouji's case- but the group of them clambered to the top of the water and awaited the arrival of the approaching Kisame and his companion. After a few moments, Kisame and the other missing nin stopped, perhaps thirty yards away. "Well, I see we've interrupted a party!" Kisame said, smiling.

"Indeed- it appears that your earlier assumption of a forest fire was mistaken, Kisame san." His companion interjected.

"So it appears!" Kisame replied without missing a beat. "Still, better safe than sorry- what manner of a person would risk letting such a thing burn out of control?"

"You are quite correct in this, Kisame san," the other agreed cheerfully. "One can't be derelict in their civic duty to fight such hazards, after all."

"Just a concerned bystander, Hmm?" Kakashi said, mentally cursing that his combat gear- and that belonging to the rest of the retrieval team, for that matter- was gone. "Well, I suppose you can be on your way, then. There is no fire here."

"Ah! But it appears that we have three criminals present that should be brought to justice!" The stranger objected. "Two of them traitors to their home country of Suna, and the third a known missing nin from Konoha! We can't simply standby and ignore their presence, now can we?"

"Brings to mind stories about pots and kettles." Grumbled Shikamaru.

"Under most circumstances I would agree," Kisame said, still grinning, "but I think that we should be on our way. One such criminal at a time is quite enough for the likes of us to handle- I doubt we can manage three of them- or even two, for that matter. Fumio, let's be off."

Fumio did a double take at this, and appeared to be on the verge of protest, but a glare from Kisame silenced it before it could begin. Reluctantly, Fumio turned to follow Kisame as the latter walked away, but not before looking back at the group and drawing a thumb across his throat slowly, before the two splished off back into the waterlogged trees.

The entire group from Konoha looked on in confusion, as did Naruto. "Um... what the hell just happened?" Naruto asked.

"It would seem that they weren't very certain of their odds against the group of us- knowing fairly well that we'd join forces to fight them, whatever our current situations might be." Kakashi's voice was light, although it was clear that they'd all dodged a fairly large and nasty kunai in that retreat.

"Which leaves us back at square one." Naruto said. "I'm still not going back to Konoha."

His eyes flickered black, and he raised an eyebrow. "Now THAT'S a nasty little seal, there." He walked forward and pulled a damp strip off of a clone that was floating face up, whereupon the clone immediately dispelled. Naruto grimaced a bit. "Yeah, that's pretty nasty alright. You guys really must want your public execution. Either that, or my eyes. Not certain which would interest the village more at the moment."

Kakashi looked significantly at Shikamaru, who cleared his throat and pulled out a scroll from his vest pocket. Like everything else, it appeared to have spent a few minutes out in a torrential downpour. Unrolling it carefully, Shikamaru recited, "Uzumaki Naruto, by order of the Godaime Hokage we are here to bring you home. Your status as inactive is being retracted, and you are being recalled as a duty member of Konoha's shinobi roster."

Naruto tilted his head to the side, as something appeared to occur to him, and a slow wave of anger began to cross his face. "I wasn't aware that nuke nin was considered... retired from duty. Much less eligible for reinstatement."

Sasuke spoke up. "You were never listed as nuke nin. You were adopted into the Uchiha clan in absentia and given the same status of 'indefinite hiatus' that was granted to Senju Tsunade twelve years ago."

"How generous. I always wondered why the hunter squads never got too close. I always assumed caution or cowardice." Naruto said flatly.

Sasuke sighed in frustration. "Damn you, Naruto! Do you have to make this more awkward than it already is?"

Naruto gained a thoughtful look on his face. "Awkward? Do I have to make this more... 'awkward?' Awkward how, exactly? Awkward like 'a small kid in ratty clothes trying to buy groceries from a grocer who kicks him out' awkward, or something lighter, like 'two jinchuuriki in the same chunin exam, let's promote the one who has an indiscriminately murderous track record for the better part of a decade, and incidentally, lost.' How heavy of an awkward are we talking about here?"

Shikamaru rolled the scroll up in disgust. "Told the Hokage you weren't going to go for this.. Mendokuse."

Naruto's expression wavered for a moment before he mastered himself, finally appearing to calm himself. "I don't answer to the Hokage, or any Kage, for that matter. I have no interest in Konoha, rank, or-" Naruto cut himself off with a blink, as realization struck him and all the Kage Bunshin present with returning memories. "Son of a bitch. The kunai." Realization of what had been kept from him for fifteen years dawned on him, that somehow, he wasn't the son of Namikaze Minato or even a relative- that somehow he WAS the Yondaime Hokage. "You fuckers... who knew?"

Those present blinked incomprehendingly, and Naruto roared out, "WHO _KNEW?_"

This was different. Haku, Kakashi, Sasuke, and Shikamaru had all seen him ready to kill, and everyone present had been witness to his unhesitating kill of the Oto nin before the first part of the Chunin exam, but none of them had ever seen him in such a blind rage. "Knew what?" Haku asked.

"WHO FUCKING KNEW THAT I WAS THE FOURTH HOKAGE?" Naruto demanded. "WHY WAS IT HIDDEN FROM ME? WHY WAS I A PARIAH? WHY- w-why..."

Naruto hung his head. "What the fuck really happened on the night of the kyuubi attack?" He whispered.

Kakashi stepped forward, just outside of reach. "Maybe you need to have a talk with Hokage sama."

"The old man knew, didn't he?" Naruto said suddenly. "He knew who I was, and that's why all the attention to an orphan. It was never about the Kyuubi at all, was it?"

Kakashi shrugged. "I couldn't really say."

Naruto's eyes were sharp as he looked at Kakashi. "That's not the same thing as 'I don't know.' Is it, Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi shrugged. "The village at large doesn't know still, and few of the shinobi forces know it even now." Kakashi blinked. "I suppose I should start calling you sensei again, shouldn't I?"

"Fuck that. I'm not going back, doubly so now." Naruto said. He began to back away cautiously, but the Konoha teams fanned out in a semi circle. Naruto halted, wary. "Say, it's pretty clear that the shinobi forces can't be hurting as badly as rumor has it, considering you have the man power to send three A-rank teams out here."

"Actually, it's worse." Neji replied. "Otogakure was fairly docile for about six months after the invasion, but then apparently Orochimaru came back. What's worse, the nin coming out of Oto are faster, stronger, and tougher than most of our forces. Every week, we lose people on simple missions from ambush, infiltrators breach the walls, civilians are kidnapped and... altered, and wreak havoc on small towns we rely on for support. Konoha is being scoured to death by sandpaper."

"And you want me to come back and join in the valiant last stand?" Naruto asked incredulously. "To hear you tell it, sounds like all I need to do is wait another six months and my problems will be solved. Not much motivation to come back."

"Naruto, you may be good- even better than you were before you left- but there are nine of us and only one of you. You can't possibly think you can escape us all, without the ability to rely on your Kage Bunshin to even the odds. Come peacefully." Sasuke's expression was hopeful. "You don't have to be on the run anymore. Konoha needs you, and you CAN turn this back for us."

Naruto snickered. "Kage bunshin isn't gonna work here, right? So I obviously don't have a prayer against all the bloodlines assembled here." Naruto shook his head. "After all this time, Sasuke..." Naruto didn't finish his statement, instead biting his thumb and making a quick handsign.

Smoke billowed up from the ground surrounding Naruto, and when it cleared, a dozen humanoid rats in shinobi gear were gathered around him, half crouched.

"Naruto sama, you called?" Asked one of them, as the group of Nezumi eyed the collection of Konoha shinobi.

"Suteru-chan, I seem to have run across some difficulties." Naruto said deferentially. "I apologize for the inconvenience this may cause, but I would prefer that they not be killed. I simply wish to leave in peace."

"Very well, Naruto sama." The Nezumi summons in front loosened manriki-gusari and nets, while the ones behind began forming hand seals.

"Well, shit," said Shikamaru. "Mendokusei."

End Chapter One

* * *

**Fumio: **Male name meaning "Scholarly child"

**Suteru: **Female name derivative of Suterusu, meaning "stealth."

**AN:** Well, I was looking at the calender night before last, and realized, "Holy crap! I haven't updated anything in five months!" So I grabbed my notes and took a long look at them, and finished the stuff I had outlined. Needs beta, I know, and I'll get around to it someday. Not all that happy about it the way it stands, but the slow shit right now is needed for what happens after. I hate to write a check to be cashed on my readerships' willing suspension of disbelief, but there it is.

Also, Itachi. Go with the story, and wait to see how it pans out before you start flaming and hating on me over this. I think you won't be disappointed.

A quick Omake and sign off, and I'll try to get the next one done before the end of October- no promises, though.

OMAKE:

The mold had died before he'd even left the tunnel and gotten into the house.

_Kyuubi, are you pondering what I'm pondering?_ He asked mentally.

**I THINK SO, KID,** Kyuubi replied, **BUT HOW DO YOU PLAN ON MAKING A FIFTEEN FOOT WIDE SHURIKEN SHAPED JELLO MOLD?**

End Omake

Ja mata.

-AXENOME


	39. Foxhunt Chapter 2: Brittle Diplomacy

Fox Hunt: Chapter Two

"Brittle Diplomacy"

linebreak

"Jinchuuriki are replete with several intimidating strengths- most notably, their enormous chakra reserves and whatever gifts they are able to draw from their bijuu. Each bearer of a bijuu seems to acquire additional gifts from the bijuu in addition to those granted to the previous holder, each new gift seeming intrinsically suited to the personality and capabilities of the jinchuuriki. Thus, despite being host to the 'weakest' bijuu, the jinchuuriki of the Ichibi Shukaku is loaded with an arsenal of tricks, abilities, and powers that the bijuu has apparently been amassing from the many hosts it has been sealed into, an arsenal that exceeds that available to any other jinchuuriki."

-"Demons and Their Uses in War," a manual for jonin instruction from Kaze no Kuni

"The original charter for the distribution of the bijuu doesn't explain why there are records- scattered but existing- of jinchuuriki before the breaking of the tetsugakusha. Either the stones were broken and later resealed, or else there are more bijuu out there somewhere."

-Notice from the Ne ANBU offices, three weeks before Sarutobi's official order to disband the organization.

* * *

The explosion was sudden. One moment the proud, slightly battered Hokage tower was going about its business, and the next moment the upper third of it was an expanding cloud of flaming debris blasted in a roughly southerly direction.

The detonation seemed to act as a signal flare of a sort, as a score or so of mutating figures suddenly appeared in the north sector of Konoha, flinging elemental attacks of one sort or another haphazardly into the faces of startled civilians and patrolling ANBU alike.

"Berserkers!" Shouted out one, pulling several fuuinjutsu inscribed senbon needles as he did.

The weapons had proven useful in the past, a brainchild of a little known genin lifer that had specialized in sealing tags of all sorts. The application of blood to the seal on the senbon caused it to react violently in the presence of most other forms of fuuinjutsu, causing them to go awry in myriad unpredictable ways. Given that berserkers were... manufactured by the used of fuuinjutsus that were tailored to the individual being altered, it had proven to be an effect that Oto had yet to figure out how to counter.

Apparently, in Orochimaru's mind, the weakness was not dire enough to warrant too much effort at countering. After all, civilians were cheap, and while somewhat time consuming, creating berserkers out of a few dozen individuals wasn't much more difficult than crafting arrows. Clearly, Orochimaru felt that spending a week or two to create a scattershot weapon that would kill a number of civilians and possibly a ninja or two was cost effective for him.

Depressingly, it seemed that he was probably right- Konoha's latest class of genin hopefuls was still a bit under a year from graduation, and that one under strength. Most of Konoha's civilian families were decidedly lukewarm about the prospect of sending their children to the Academy now that it had been decisively shown that the academy was not proof against attack.

A nearby building went up in flames, staggering the ANBU slightly as the sudden heat singed the right side of his body. Almost in slow motion his Byakugan registered the arc of the senbon that slipped from his fingers and skittered across the ground through a growing puddle of blood belonging to a civilian, before coming to rest atop a sealing scroll.

His Kaiten was sudden and fortuitious- the blood stuck the senbon to the scroll for a moment as the pair of objects tumbled away from him, and even from several yards away he could feel the horrid twisting of everything as the senbon did its work unthinkingly. The ANBU was able to avoid the worst of the wrenching alteration in the fundamental structure of reality- barely- but the berserker wasn't so lucky. The fuuinjutsu in both the senbon and the scroll suddenly burnt out, and the contents of the scroll appeared in a mangled pile next to an equally mutilated and still twitching body of an already grotesquely distorted berserker. Even the ground wasn't unscarred; cobblestones bent and wound in tangled skeins or expanded and bubbled like foam. The ANBU was impressed with the results despite himself.

As quickly as the attack began, it was over. ANBU finished mopping up the berserkers- no shinobi casualties this time, thankfully- and civilians began to pick themselves up from where they'd fallen or cowered. A few civilians had joined in the fighting, as being on the receiving end of a long string of harassing assaults has the effect of galvanizing folk into fighting back. This, too, was a factor in why Konoha had not yet fallen. There was no shortage of people willing to fight for their homes and lives, only a shortage of those trained in the use of Chakra.

Hyuuga Hiashi slowly relaxed behind his ANBU mask and rubbed a hand across the back of his neck, before barking out to a nearby ANBU, "You! Find out how they got past the walls this time."

"Hai, taichou!" the man responded, before dashing off to the North.

"You!" Hiashi snapped at another. "Find me genin Takeru in the armaments district and bring him here- he needs to see what his latest brainchild has worked."

"Hai, taichou!" The second ANBU likewise departed.

Hiashi thought grimly, _I'd kill for a bath._

* * *

"What a mess," Jiraiya mused sourly as he surveyed what remained of his operations room.

Everything was singed and sooty, and former support beams and stone work made it look like the aftermath of a demolition. The room would have reeked of scorched wood and rubble for days, were it not for the fact that it now served as roof to the remnants of the tower rather than as an enclosed space of any kind. The papers that had been strewn about in an organized disarray were simply gone, probably a distribution of ash and smoke that was scattered to the four winds and beyond. The Hokage's office was only a memory now, and worse yet, there was no sign of the scrying stone that had sat on the Hokage's desk.

The consolation prize of a potential new weapon discovered by accident served to make the loss more pronounced. Only blind luck had it that neither he nor any of the councilors had been in the tower during the attack.

_The loss of the Tower and the Scrying stone are bad news. Trading a national symbol and an irreplacable, refined tool for a makeshift weapon is a poor exchange._

"Hokage sama, we have an estimate on the damages, and we think we've pinpointed how they got past the security seals on the wall," someone said from behind him.

"Go ahead," he responded, turning to face the ANBU captain. "I can already guess part of it, Hiashi."

The white masked ANBU nodded. "The North wall was compromised by some sort of space time jutsu. Apparently they found a way to bypass the intervening distance completely. Chakra remnants seemed to indicate the group apparently skipped the distance across the wall entirely."

Jiraiya grunted. "Sounds risky. The difficulty of such techniques aside, a slight miscalculation and they'd occupy something more solid than air on arrival. Even attempting this would have taken an accomplished practitioner of space-time jutsu. Something else I need to seal against, then."

Hiashi nodded. "We believe that he only stuck around long enough to enact the technique then left. Traces indicate that the jutsu was executed from one hundred fifty yards past the wall. Furthermore, the entire attack itself was performed by berserkers."

Jiraiya shook his head in disgust. "In other words, the only thing this cost Otogakure was ammunition- again." He sighed. "And how did they get the tower?"

"We... still don't know that, Hokage sama," Hiashi responded uncomfortably.

"Keep looking, then. Damages?"

"Fourteen civilian buildings, ten of which were dual story business residences, thirty-one civilian casualties, seven fatal. And..." Hiashi trailed off, a slight incline of his head somehow indicating the wreckage around them, as well as the few staff that had been in the upper stories.

"And the sealing scroll accident?" Jiraiya asked- crude weapon or not, they needed better ones, and this one had shown potential.

"Unryuu san assures me that he can have the first prototypes within a week." Hiashi paused, then commented, "It will be nice to have throw away weapons of mass destruction of our own, for a change."

"The can't guide themselves- not much use without an arm to throw them. We're being nibbled to death by ducks," Jiraiya grumbled, before looking out past the shattered wall at the four and a half faces (the Nidaime's had been blown half off six months ago by a summoned snake's venom) on the monument staring sightlessly across the village. "How degrading."

* * *

Chouji didn't understand this business with Naruto thinking he was the Fourth Hokage, and frankly, he didn't much care. He cared about Konoha, and his pregnant betrothed there. He cared about his unborn child. He cared about his mission, and completing it so that he could get home before something happened while he wasn't there to defend it. But right now, a dozen summoned rats outfitted in ninja kit were standing in between him and everything he currently cared about.

He had never heard of a rat summoning contract before- toads, of course, as well as slugs, snakes, dogs, monkeys, spiders, and even bees, but not rats.

Within the first few seconds of the renewed conflict he understood why Naruto chose them. Rats were natural ninja. They moved well, dodging and striking unpredictably. The summons worked together with one another like a machine, planned a dozen steps in advance without speaking, covered each others' blind spots, and all of them were as adept at using actual ninjutsu as the monkey summons.

His first reaction had been to summon several combat toads, only for them to been dispelled almost immediately by Naruto as his hands touched each one with some strange, dark chakra. A trio of rats flung nets and bolas at Neji, who used Kaiten, while Shikamaru lanced out with sharpened shadow, which was deflected by a wall of earth. Naruto and Gaara wrestled over control of the ground for a few moments before Naruto released his manipulation and jumped, dodging a bludgeoning blast of wind that Temari conjured, the best she could manage without her fan, before she fell back as a pair of rats blasted dust into the air around her, causing her to release her technique in favor of clearing the air before she choked.

Haku formed a whirling cloud of razor sharp ice shards, surrounding himself in a storm of blades, when a pair of rat hands thrust up from the ground to grab him by the ankles. A sudden motion and water poured from his vest, dousing the ground, which Haku instantly froze before he could be pulled completely under, instead remaining stuck ankle deep.

Kakashi finished his own set of seals, swiping blood across a long scroll that he'd apparently held out on when disarming earlier. "Kuchiyose no jutsu!"  
Temari was hard pressed even with her own weasel summons to counter the rats- they seemed to have no pattern to their attacks but every strike, every jutsu or tool was aimed and calculated to take her out of the fight. Several dogs burrowed up from the ground suddenly beneath Naruto, but the rat Naruto had addressed as Suteru was suddenly there, and the dogs found themselves floundering in sticky mud, unable to get any real traction. Naruto turned the dispelling black chakra on them, and one by one the dogs too were dismissed.

Chouji stepped back from the combat- all that either side was accomplishing was a stalemate, and Naruto's massive chakra reserves ensured that a sustained stalemate was a win for him. Chouji briefly considered using expansion, but only briefly. They weren't trying to kill Naruto- even though in the darkest recesses of his mind he had to wonder if it wouldn't be better- so for the time being he was going to hold back on the expansion techniques, and only minimal use of the sage chakra he'd gathered so far.

Naruto was supporting the summoned rats, reshaping the terrain, taking and giving hits, and Chouji suddenly wondered- why, if Naruto wanted to get away, would he stay and fight alongside his summons?

Either he didn't really want to get away, making a show of resistance, or else...

Or else, Chouji suddenly guessed, he's already gone.

But when could he have made the switch? Wouldn't the Byakugan have caught the change out?

"Neji, Hinata!" Shikamaru shouted suddenly, apparently coming to the same conclusion that Chouji had. "Sweep the area as far as you can see!"  
The Naruto they'd been fighting swore, before dispelling into smoke, and after exchanging a glance with one another, the rats dispelled as well. Neji and Hinata pumped chakra to their eyes, but it was Hinata who saw Naruto retreating from the direction where their mutual blind spots had been while they were focused on the rats and the clone. "He's getting away!"

"How the hell did he get out without either of you seeing him? WHEN did he make the switch?" Kakashi growled, bewildered.

Neji shook his head. "I have no idea," he admitted.

"Do we pursue?" Gaara asked, looking at Kakashi flatly.

"I really don't see what other choice we have at the moment. We NEED him," Kakashi answered, cursing the loss of their shinobi gear. "Sasuke-"

Sasuke snorted, before he pulled out a scroll, bit his thumb, and swiped a streak of blood across the paper. Suddenly the ground was littered with several pouches, spools of wire, kunai, senbon, testubishi, three model 6 Ninjato, a model 7 Ninjato, a number of smaller scrolls, and an assortment of chain weapons. Temari winced. "I don't suppose you have a battle fan in there somewhere?"

"I'm a fire user," Sasuke answered with a grin. "I don't have a full sized fan, but..." He rooted through the scrolls before finding the one he was looking for, then tossed it to her.

Unsealing the scroll revealed a small, functional combat tessen, only fourteen inches, but the tines and steel weave both razor sharp. "Yeah, this'll do. It's not..." Temari faltered a moment, her eyes reflexively scanning the area for any signed of her sealed weapon. "Yeah, it'll do."

There weren't enough pouches for all of them, but Neji, Hinata, Chouji, and Haku didn't use them anyways, preferring their tools to be concealed in pockets and loops in their clothes. After rearming themselves as best they could, they set off to follow Naruto's trail.

"Hey, Sasuke." Neji's tone was amused.

"Hnn?" Replied the raven haired chunin.

"How do you afford to carry all this crap with you on a mission?"

"Heir to the Uchiha clan. Remember?"  
"Ahh."

There was a moment of silence, then, "Hey, Sasuke." Neji again.

"Hnn?"

"You don't mind if I keep these, then."

"Sure thing. The senbon are 15 ryo apiece, kunai 120, and the net is 600 ryo."

"Cheap bastard."

"Hnn."

* * *

An hour later, only the torn and muddied ground remained to testify to the scuffle, until a hand suddenly burst up, scrabbling for purchase, then a second one beside it. The hastily constructed shelter underneath, one whose properties Naruto mimicked from Uzugakure earlier to the best of his ability, had apparently managed to fool the Byakugan. Shaking dirt out of his ears as he clambered out of the ground, Naruto shot one last look in the direction the decoy had taken, before he headed due south.

He needed to start visiting the seamier sides of Hi no Kuni- it was time to hunt down Tsunade and ask those questions she owed him.

After a moment, he paused, flashing his Kamigan. Within a second or so he'ed located the scroll, sodden but intact, that held Temari's fan. He'd spent a hefty favor to acquire that- how hefty he hadn't known for a long time after he'd done so- so he'd be damned if that weapon was going to be lost out here in the wilderness.

Besides, maybe some day he'd be able to give it back to her.

After fetching the scroll, he continued on his way.

* * *

Jiraiya stood hunched over a relief map that had been hastily constructed in what was serving as operations central. The room itself was fourteen feet below the street level, a quarter of a mile south of the Hokage tower- or at least, what was still standing of it. Several chunin teams were performing the B-ranked mission of cleanup, in case anything of a sensitive nature remained behind to be found.

"Hokage sama."

Jiraiya looked up into the sharp grey eyes of the head of the Koemi clan. He hadn't noticed him entering the room. "Yes, Koemi dono?"

Temetatsu held a look of regret on his face. "Are you familiar with the traditions of the Koemi clan? Did Hiruzen give you any familiarity with our customs?"  
Jiraiya shrugged, rocking a flat hand in the air. "A little. What's on your mind?"

Temetatsu sighed. For a moment Jiraiya could feel how old the man was, could feel his weariness. "Jiraiya, the Koemi clan has always kept its word. Our original charter to join Konoha was specific in its wording. But more than this, the Koemi clan has always, first and foremost, been weaponsmiths- and as such, we are technically neutral in all respects."

Jiraiya felt his blood turn cold. "You're taking your clan out of Konoha."

"I am." Temetatsu confirmed. "Konoha is dying. It has been for two years, now. If you're smart, you'll relocate to elsewhere, somewhere that's actually hidden. But that is outside the topic of conversation. The Koemi clan's presence as a component of Konoha is dependant on the clause, 'for such duration as the solvency, security, and unity of Konoha remains hale.' And that is precisely why the clan is leaving."

Something in Temetatsu's voice caught Jiraiya's attention. "But?"

"I will not be going with my clan," Temetatsu answered. "My place is here, and I've already chosen my successor as clan leader. I will be joining the active duty forces of Konoha."

Jiraiya scowled. "That's insane. You're ninety seven years old."

"Ninety eight in two months."

"You won't last five minutes on the field at your age."

"Care to stake a wager on that claim?" The master smith's grin was tight, almost eager. "I haven't had a good workout in at least four decades."

Jiraiya winced at that. Four decades meant- oh, sometime around his own chunin exam. Even so, the Koemi patriarch had not diminished in size or strength in any fashion Jiraiya could determine, his skin lined and leathery and grey as old iron and apparently just as hard. Clearly, only sharing half the blood of his father was still more than enough. "I'm too old myself to be playing ego games, and you've got more years on me than it's been since your last workout. Think through what you're saying."

Temetatsu laughed loud, and Jiraiya thought he could hear the hollow ring of metal echoing somewhere deep in the man's chest. "Jiraiya, what would you have me do? Just stand by and watch, act less and less until I become an iron sentinel for all eternity?"

Jiraiya suddenly understood, now. "It's already begun for you."

Temetatsu nodded, the mirth not leaving his eyes as his laughter died down. "Yes. I am indeed my father's son. And I have no taste for what falls on those of his line who live too long."

"Then there will be one more iron dragon before Konoha falls."

"Not so, not so!" Admonished the smith, waving a correcting finger whose skin tone had barely begun to take on a metallic sheen. "Remember, I was not his wife's child- so at best I am a bastard dragon. And so I was named."

The unspoken subtext- that all iron dragons died fighting- remained silent but present.

Neither of them chose to acknowledge it as they shared a flask of unfiltered sake.

* * *

The unfiltered sake swirled lazily in the sake cup, its milky lustre like pearl and its bouquet like silk. Tsunade couldn't taste it at all through the misgivings in her mind.

Complimentary hotel suite. Courtesy of the casino, as a subtle bribe to halt a client on a winning streak without alienating its customers. Standard for the industry, really. Lush furniture, fancy wall paper, tasteful decor.

For all she cared, Tsunade could have been staying in an overnight dive.

The winning streak had started out slow- a few thousand ryo here and there- but gained momentum. Tsunade's almost desperate need to burn through the money she won, going higher and higher stakes, had only backfired. A ten thousand ryo stake becamse a three hundred thousand ryo pot, a two hundred thousand ryo wager on a single toss of the dice came up seven, paying out a cool million. One by one she paid visits to her bewildered creditors, herself as bewildered as they, and her debts began to dwindle. Shizune still chided her, but the strain was leaving her face, and the worry departing.

Yesterday Tsunade had paid a visit to Hatori Echigoya, and suddenly she realized, on walking out of his office, that she didn't owe money to anyone. He had been the last.

Five thousand ryo on Keno last night over dinner. Thirteen hits out of fifteen.

Six million ryo, now.

There was no thrill in a game she couldn't lose. She found herself entertaining the idea of never gambling again.

She tossed back the sake cup, no longer wanting to taste the alcohol, only to feel its effects. Then, suddenly, a voice from the past hit her.

_Your body is metabolizing the alcohol quickly. Your bloodstream is filtering it through your liver at a high rate. And you almost automatically heal your liver through the damage you do to it. Almost as though you want to be drunk... but you don't dare fall asleep. Alcohol inhibits judgement. It lowers the barriers we use to hide our deepest pains and fears... so you want to be drunk, but you don't dare go to sleep._

A wave of revulsion hit her as she relived Naruto's words, and she threw the sake cup away from her in a swift, sudden motion, like it was a scorpion. The ceramic cup smashed against the wall, and was followed by the still warm flask a split second later.

_I wonder... what do you dream of?_

"Nothing..." She bit out angrily in a vicious whisper. "I don't dream."

_How would you know? The bottom of a glass makes a blurry lens to look through._

"What the hell do you think there is to look at, you little brat?" She snarled.

_I see a woman under a henge, hiding from us, from Konoha, hiding from herself. I see an old woman trying to crawl into a sake bottle, so that when she leaves herself on a counter in a pachinko parlor one day, that the waitress can carry that bottle away, and that old bag never has to look at herself again._

"I know what I look like." She hissed, her hands whiteknuckled on the edge of the end table as she stared sightlessly at the wall.

_I can't help but wonder what you saw... what you remember... what you still see when you sleep, when you're awake and sober, what images you see every time you blink your eyes... that the only thing you'll do is hide from it behind a haze of alcohol._

"God damn you, Minato!" Tsunade yelled, the end table suddenly tumbling end oveer end the smash through the wall when the sake had struck. "Why won't you leave me alone?"

_Because that's what a medic does._

"No..." She whispered, burying her face in her hands. "That's not what a medic does. A medic doesn't help and a medic doesn't save. All a medic does is to eventually fail."

_I know that you were a medic nin once, called one of the greatest of all time, and you don't get that way unless being a medic means something to you. _

"But every medic nin faces an invincible foe. And they cannot save anyone. Not even themselves."

Tsunade suddenly let her henge drop, noting the wrinkles and veins on the backs of her hands, how thin the skin had become. The slender fingers had become outright bony, and the nails themselves grainy and weak. "I can't... save myself." She suddenly said out loud, and a wave of dread washed over her as the words left her lips. "I can't stop time from destroying me."

And that was it. That was the thing, she suddenly realized, that she'd been running from for all these years. Watching Dan die... each wanting to save Konoha but themselves dying to protect it... "I'm... I'm going to die."

The chill she felt had nothing to do with the night air that drifted in through the hole in the wall. It was the chill of finally turning to face Death, who had been at her shoulder the whole time while she'd hidden under henge from herself, hidden from the fact that she was aging and that someday she too would be taken by the hand by the grim fellow before her. And Death was so patient even now, no recrimination, no disapproval, simply smiling back, having known all along she'd come to her senses eventually.

Tsunade would pay for the damages to the hotel. She would collect Shizune from her room early in the morning, not acknowledging the one night stand who sat blinking sleepily at the two as they collected Shizune's bags.

Tsunade would not, however, drink or gamble again.

And she would never use her henge to hide her age for the rest of her life.

* * *

End Chapter 2

**-AN:** Right. Well, my attempt to boycott storywriting in an attempt to make FFdotNet acknowledge that there needs to be a yaoi filter... has completely failed. Screw it. Chapter is up, but I severely miss reading the really good fics- you know the ones, that DIDN'T rely on sex and mpreg and yaoi to attract all the fanboiz/grrlz.

Feh. Dunno why I'm writing this on ff, considering I haven't read a fic start to finish here in two or three months. Must be getting very sour in my old age.

My faithful readers, please ignore the rant. Hopefully this chap will be a welcome break in the tidal wave of cookie cutter crud.

Ja mata.

-AXENOME


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